When All Else Fails
by Inane Insane
Summary: Ah, dreams. The escape which one turns too after a long day's work. Well, it would be an escape, if Kaiba wasn't there all the time. Kaijou, complete, being revised
1. Dreams

Ooooh. A SetoxJou fic. Yaaaaaaaaaay/ Be merry and happy and… yeah. Anyway.

**WARNING**: This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi. So, if you don't like it, don't read!  
**  
DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O - End of Scene, or Dream Sequence. I'll let you guess which is which XP/

**When All Else fails, Chapter 1**

_Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.  
-Langston Hughes_

He arched against the body above him, a moan escaping his throat as the man above him kissed his swollen lips hungrily. God, everything burned! His touches, kisses, murmurs, moans, _everything_. He wasn't even sure what was his anymore, because it felt to good to even think about anything besides the feelings this was producing.

He knew, in an essence, that this was 'wrong'. Many people weren't accepting if this sort of thing, two men sleeping together and _liking_ it. And, God, did he ever like it, but this was supposedly _wrong._

But he didn't care.

His hands, stained white from gripping and holding and restraining, were twisted in hair while his golden eyes were closed, hiding the pleasure and lust that filled them, the feelings this man was provoking, bringing forth and twisting them to his like.

Hell, he was good at provoking.

Skin met skin as he was thrust into, the pain nothing compared to the pleasure this was causing. It felt too good, too wrong, and what was wrongness without the pleasure that came with it?

A throaty moan, this time released by two mouths, as pleasure was presented before them in a white, sticky substance. While, some of it anyways. He could practically feel the seed inside him swirling in his heat and marking him his.

The man that brought him to the conclusion of 'fuck everyone who disagrees with this' collapsed beside him, bringing the blonde into his embrace, close to a heaving chest. Who ever said sex was tiring and fulfilling was right, that was for sure.

The after glow of sex was only a few seconds before the man holding him spoke, voice sounding deep and scratchy from the throaty growls he had made himself.

"You're my puppy, forever and always, you know."

"Yeah..." He was surprised his voice still worked.

"You only answer, scream, and plead for me, right?"

"...Yes..."

"Then who is your master, Jou-pup?"

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

And the dream ended right there.

Of course, it always did. With none to pleasant results stained into his bed sheets. Sniffing the air, the blond wrinkled his nose and snorted in disgust. It always smelled that bad when he thought of the damned guy in his dream. He could always see cold blue eyes, knew it was a male, and knew the other wasn't fat. He had a... a _body_, that was for sure.

He sighed heavily as a blush painted itself on his cheeks, hurriedly getting up from the sheets and putting them into a bundle. He padded out of his room and opened his apartment door, heading for the laundry room with the dream still circling his head.

He only noticed another slight problem when he found himself in front of the laundry room, which was _two stories_ down from his apartment.

"Oh shit..." The teen cursed softly as he stood stoic, one hand resting beside his still rather large... Problem. The blush refused to let go of it's strangle hold on his face as he noticed, also, that the front of his boxers were wet. And sticky.

He could just tell that this day wasn't going to be a pleasant one. At all.

A few minutes of thought put the blonde into action. A man everyone hated was usually in this room around this hour, and it was no secret he was homeless. He slept in the damned laundry room, and if that didn't scream 'I have no home!', he didn't know what did.

He opened the door quietly and crept in when he noticed that said man was asleep.

Blessing and thanking any God available, he dashed to the washer and stripped, making good time as he walked over to the man. Now, he scowled, all he had to do was get the damned coat off of the guy.

The blonde stopped every few minutes between grunts and groans when the man made a sound, a cross between a snore and a snort. A small smirk crept itself onto his lips as he recognized a few names coming from the man's lips. Horny old bastard. Of course, he really couldn't say much for himself. The whole reason he was down here was because he had had a 'wet dream'. What was he, 13?

After another bout of 'Oh, Hinata-chan!', the blonde absent-mindedly decided never to go down here at that hour again.

His goal finally accomplished as the coat slid easily off the man, the chocolate-eyed boy shrugged the ratty old coat on. If he could steal from stores (of course, that being a long time ago, before he met up with Yugi and them), he could steal from an old, homeless man.

Now to tend to the other problem...

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

A sigh was heard as Jou leaned back into his chair, chocolate-eyes closed off to the world. History was boring. Class was boring. School was boring. So why the hell did he have to learn about the different eras of Japan? Again? He wished they could at least come up with some new material so he could fail at something he _didn't _know.

One eye cracked open lazily as a breath slid out from behind white teeth, rolling in it's socket to look out the corner of his eye. He half-glared at the male beside him as he wrote, neat, cursive writing filling the page he was on. Figures. A girly boy like Kaiba had to have girly writing.

He closed the eye again as he shifted positions, hand now held captive under his chin as he pretended to write notes. The sensei was too damn busy being boring to notice that the blonde's 'writing' had no pattern to them. One reason Jou loved teachers sometimes. They were so easy to fool.

Thoughts circulated his head as he thought back onto his most previous dream, and the effects of it. He had to...relieve himself before school, and that took a little while. So he was almost late. So he had to skip breakfast. So he was hungry. And it showed, too. He heard a snort from his left as his stomach rumbled loudly, the students around him looking around to see what had made the offending noise.

The blonde glowered at Kaiba as the other continued to ignore him, hand furiously scraping the paper with lead. His eyes glanced briefly down at the page again, and he noticed something. Kaiba wrote with his left hand. He always thought rich boy wrote with his right hand. Or maybe he was one of those people that could write with both hands. A whatchamacallit...

His process of thought was stopped abruptly as he remembered who he was thinking about. Kaiba. Otherwise known as moneybags, rich boy, Bastard (yes, with a capital), girly boy, ice man, and the stuck-up owner of Kaiba Corp.. Why the hell would Jou be thinking about him?

Further thoughts were disrupted as the teacher slapped a ruler on his desk, a resounding 'smack!' coming off at the contact. All of the students jumped slightly, and the offending sound had almost knocked Jou out of his desk. He looked up at the rather tall man, and cringed at his expression. This wasn't good.

"Jounouchi Katsuya, may I ask just _why _you were staring at Mr. Kaiba?"

Shit… Ok... Time to come up with a good excuse.

"... Uh... I was bored?" He heard a few giggles from the girls and the ever resounding sigh from Yugi when he got into trouble. Oh, was that ever _smooth_. Smooth as the guy's in his dream ski-

He coughed, deciding not to go there, and saw the man's face darken enough to rival a coming storm.

The blonde started counting how many veins were popping out on the man's head. Could you say 'anger management'? Seriously. He practically had a map being drawn on his forehead.

"Jounouchi Katsuya, I expect to see you after school, right here, and ready to wash the walls of this room until I see not _one _smudge on them. Do I make myself clear?"

He resisted the urge to moan. That was going to take _hours_! There was already a big stain of icing on the wall near the chalk board, where a kid had decided to 'hand' Mr. Yuriko a cake for his birthday oh-so-nicely. That kid was expelled, though. Good for him, the dumb ass.

"_Hai, Sensei_. I'll be here." He restrained himself from making any rude comments and getting himself into deeper shit. All teachers liked politeness, right?

Apparently they did, because the man's face softened enough to resemble a dark and rainy day. "Good. Glad you understand. Pay attention before I make you wash the windows too. Now, where were we?"

The teacher drifted off into another little speech about the Meiji era and the effects it had on modern day Japan, and it was only then the Jou looked over to where Kaiba was sitting.

He noticed the brunet shift ever so slightly from his position, eyes still downcast onto the paper, and he observed another little detail.

He was writing with his right hand now.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"No worries, Yug'! I'll be jus' fine with Mr. Yuck. As long as he doesn't make me do windows or sweep." A genuine smile tossed over to the shorter boy as the arm slung over his shoulder removed itself for a small wave. It wasn't fun to make Yugi worry about him or anything, right? The boy already had to deal with spirits and freaky Egyptian stuff. Yeah...

"Alright, Jou..." The boy sounded reluctant as he waved back, the frown replaced by the childish smile that usually adorned his face a second later. "I'll phone you later, alright?"

Said boy nodded enthusiastically as the shorter teen started running towards home, golden pyramid swinging in it's usual place around Yugi's neck. "Alright Yug'! Seeya!"

He waved one last time before finally turning his back, a small smile still playing itself on his face. Now all he had to do was get through the stupid detention.

The thought of having a half pleasant detention was banished as he heard an all too recognizable chuckle sound near his right, and a scowl presented itself on his face as he placed a face with that chuckle. Whoop-do-fuggin-do. Kaiba.

"Whadda ya want, moneybags? If it's to torture me, piss off. I have to go to detention." A snapped out tone as he glared at the brunette to the right of him. He was getting even more pissed off at the damned smirk the other was sporting. Glowering as the other chuckled again, the deep noise echoing off of the walls near them, he cursed who ever watched over his luck. Stupid God-people...

"I think the mutt needs a rabies shot. I only came to ask a simple question, dog."

The blonde had the childish urge to stamp his foot and stick out his tongue at the other, but instead settled for an even angrier glare. That'd show the stuck-up rich boy!

"I'm not a mutt, moneybags. And if ya wanted ta ask a stupid question, do it without the doggie comments." He wasn't really in the mood for the one that supposedly caused him a detention. He was alive, so therefore, he was responsible for Jou staring at him.

It was always good to put the blame on something - or someone - else.

A smooth scowl twirled in with a cool voice was sent towards him, the young CEO leaning his weight onto his back heels, his posture radiating arrogance as he spoke. "Fine... Dog." He knew the other couldn't resist! Stuck up bastard. "The one question I have is the one question that Yuriko-sensei asked you today. Why were you staring at me?"

Half-demanding and half-questioning. The chocolate-eyed boy froze as the question hung in the air. Oh shit, oh shit, oh _shit_, what was he supposed to say? 'Ah, I was just staring at you because I was thinking about you and all your… Kaiba-ness, and especially your oh-so-manly handwriting! By the way, do you write with your right or your left? Both? Ok! Seeya in class tomorrow!'.

Yeah. That'd work real well.

A fish expression must have been on his face, because the other sighed angrily, and they both opened their mouths at the same time before a stern voice beat them both to speaking. "Jonouchi Katsuya, you now have to wash the windows for being fashionably late. Now get in here before I decide to make it even worse."

Right now, the blonde could have kissed the old man. But of course he didn't. That would be gross, and he wasn't that grateful. Plus he had to do windows. He could have come up with a witty comment in a few more seconds!! But it was best to quit while you were ahead, in some cases, right?

A small victory smirk as he glanced at the angry brunet, and he couldn't resist saying something. "Well, seeya moneybags. Nice talkin' to ya, but ya know..." Another smile sent over, and a little wiggle of his fingers, as he all but dashed to the door nearest to him. He walked in quickly, leaving a stunned teenager behind.

Of course, the blonde couldn't resist the rude gesture he made behind his back at the boy.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Well, there ya go!!! I have done the unthinkable and actually started another fic!! So that's about... Uh... Three of four fics. God I suck. This was relatively short, too...

Oh yeah... a note or two... Mr.Yuriko is the history teacher, if you haven't guessed.

So…. Yeah? Yeah. Until the next chapter!!!


	2. Alleyways

Whee! I actually updated. Which is sad, since I should have done it sooner then later. So, anyways… nothing really important in this chappie. Just some mild rambling and a run in. With the little dream sequence, of course. So yeah… Disclaimers… and warnings…

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

WARNING!: This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi hinting. Bugger off if ya dun like this kinda stuff .

OooooooooooooO-indicates end of dream sequence

ooooooooooooooooooOindicates end of a scene

-------------------------------------------------OoO Indicates end of chapter

**REVIEW **

**Kaiba and joey lover: **Dun worry, I plan on finishing this fic! Glad you like it . -hands a Kaiba plushie-

**AngelStarFire: **Double thank you! I haven't gotten such positive feedback on any story, ever! -hands a Jou plushie- Hope you continue reading'!

**Santurion: **Glad you think so! I wun stop this soon, anyways! -hands a Yami plushie-

**Kat: **Lmao! That would be a funny nickname XD.I think Seto kaiba's the type to have girly handwriting O.o. -hands a Bakura plushie- Hope ya read it again : 

**Kumori Sakusha formerly Saelbu: **Sorry I didn't update sooner!

**Ahja Reyn:** Glad you think so, and here's the update!

**TolkienFan711:** Here's the update, because you said so, with Caps Lock XP.

**Suicidal Skies:** Go chu and me! XD Lmao. Yer gonna do what now?

**KatrinaKaiba:** Thank you, and I know Kaiba's ambidextrous, just Jou doesn't XP.

And thanks, Tia, for beta-reading!! And KK! Thankies! hands a plushie of their choice

So yeah… On with the fic…

**When all Else Fails, Chapter 2**

_The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind _  
-_Freud_

He really didn't like Mr.Yuriko. And the blonde meant, in the way, that he wished that the man would get run over by a car, scraped off the road, taken in a plane, and thrown out of the damn thing onto some sharp crevices. Yes, that would be a good way for him to die slowly and painfully. Could you tell the blonde had too much time too think about that?

A survey of his work as he realized he had been wiping the same spot over and over again, the water leaving a splotchy drawing on the glass. Stupid dirt. Was it stuck in the window, or was it just outside? No matter. He was done, damn it!! Fuck the teach' if he didn't like his wonderful job!… Of course, Jou would never think of actually fucking Mr.Yuriko, but moving on…

The chocolate eyed boy looked at the bucket a couple of feet away from him, a sly grin finding it's way to his face. The grin widened as he positioned himself a few steps away from where he had already been standing, hand - and rag - held in the air as he focused on the bucket. A soft throw as he pleaded with the rag to fall gracefully into the bucket as it sailed through the air. And with a show of absolute grace, it promptly hit the other side of the bucket and dragged it down, spilling the messy contentsall overthe floor.

"Aw Fuck!"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

The blonde grumbled impatiently as the bus' headlights came into view, the large, yellow orbs hurting Jou's eyes. He hated taking the bus. It was usually filled with drunken old geezers and little punks who never knew any better. How many times had he almost got beaten up when a kid tried jumping him? Well, of course, the kid was no match for the superior Katsuya Jounouchi. No one was!!… Well, except rich boy. And only in fighting. But he got Karate teachers and expensive lessons and stuff!

He really had to blame all of this on Mr.Yuriko right now, because he made him do the damn floor again when he saw that his favorite student had spilled the damn bucket all over the place. His knees hurt. So that was the simple reason Jou was risking getting into a fight. His stupid knees hurt from bending on the floor so much. Plus, his pants were wet.

Plopping the money into the little box, he quickly made his way to the back with a grumble from the driver, who obviously didn't like 'skinny-assed punks'. Keeping his shoulders square and his eyes level, he scowled at anyone who looked at him. Hey, sometimes it was better to act mean so people would stay away from you, right? Right. Moneybags perfected that. Except, the fact was, he was mean.

He no sooner sat down and thought about thinking about Kaiba too much (Which he promptly hit himself over because he was thinking about why he was thinking about the CEO), did a man whose pants look too small on him approached him, a lecherous grin on his face. The man, who Jou effectively nicknamed 'fat man', sat down beside him and gave him a little wink, that looked more like it was a grimace because of the fact that his face held probably as much fat as his neck. Which was a bit too much.

"Heeeey cutie. Where ya headin' tanight?" Fat man's speech was slurred effectively, which tipped the blonde duelist off that he was drunk beyond hell. Not minding that the unbearable odor and the messy clothes with stains on them didn't tip him off, either. Not a bit.

"Get lost, fat man. I dun wanna be bothered tonight." He added a growl to the effect of a dangerous teen, eyes hovering on the man's face in a vicious look. If the man truly was drunk, he wouldn't leave him alone. Which would result in violence, with the fat man being on the receiving end. Unless the fat absorbed his attacks. Which wouldn't be surprising. The man was HUGE. He was taking up three seats, practically. He was suddenly very, VERY glad he had taken the very back. If he was sitting in the two seaters, he surely would be squished up against the window in a painful position. Or maybe he would be outside, glass surrounding him since the window might have broken from the pressure. Who knew?

As the blonde contemplated his thoughts about whether he'd be out the window or squished, the man was caught in a little fit of giggles. Jou only noticed when the man slapped his knee, effectively sending ripples pooling away from the contact to his skin. "Ooo, a feisty one, eh?" The man snickered again, eyes looking up and down his form in a rabid look, making Jou feel like he was a burger on display. Honestly, man, put down the fuckin' fork! " What's that on your knees? Cum?" He snickered again, hand inching closer to Jou's knee.

The blonde knew the fat man wouldn't have been looking at his knee, if he wanted to… 'eat him'. Which caused the blonde to blush as the fat man's hand got closer to his leg. The man had been looking at his crotch! The fuckin' pervert! The blonde shuddered to think of what he was like sober.

A quick reflex as the fat man's hand came in contact with his leg, his fist automatically finding the dirty man's face and sending him backwards. Hey! The fat didn't absorb his attack! The thought was banished as Jou stood up, towering over the now cowering figure of the big ball of fat. "Never, EVER touch me near there again, you fucking pervert!!" He sent a kick to the fat man's 'private place', gloating slightly when the man let out an unearthly screech. He screamed like a girl, too? This guy probably had never gotten laid before. Or maybe he had. Poor prostitutes…

His victory was short lived, how ever, as the bus driver grabbed his collar and threw him out the door with yells of "If ya ever do that again, ya little punk, I'll get the police on ya!". With that, the door closed with a snap and the bus hurried away, as if wanting to get away from the teenager now lying eagle-spread on the asphalt. Nasty old man, the guy was. Fat man started the whole thing! At least he was off that bus…

Laying there for a few more minutes as he tried getting the fat man's 'affection' out of his system, he sat up slowly, hands coming up to hook behind his head in a lazy fashion. Now where was he? He had to get home some how, and if it was by walking, who gave a shit? He needed to know where he was first.

His day got worse as he noticed he was currently sitting in the central part of town. Which meant that he was near a certain company. Said company happening to be Kaiba Corp. … Which probably meant the young CEO was there. Damn, stupid ass Kaiba and him being EVERYWHERE the blonde went. This time, he would blame Kaiba's dad, because he built the damned company there. Or did Kaiba build the company after his foster dad Gozubaro decided to digitize his mind? Eh, who cared? He didn't needa know the Kaiba history. It was probably boring, while his history was filled with excitement!!... Technically, Kaiba's was too because he was a priest in his past life, but who cared?!

Chocolate brown eyes widened when he saw a neat, black limo pull out in front of Kaiba Corp, the automobile long enough to put a city block to shame. Stupid Kaiba and his stupid money… Speak of the devil, too. The stony faced CEO was making his way out of the building, flocked by security guards and a few news reporters. Kami-sama, the guy was paranoid.

Finally realizing the position he was in, he quickly scrambled into a standing position. Only to find out that he was also in sight of the brunette. Right now, he bet the Gods were saying "Ha! Look at that dumb Jou kid! Let's torture him some more!". So, deciding to be the man he was, he ran.

Skidding to a stop and dashing into the nearest alleyway on sight, the blonde duelist let out the breathe he was holding in. Ha! Kaiba wouldn't find him! He was the incre-

"Well, well… The mutt's scrounging for some spare food? Never thought you'd sink this low." The words followed by a tsk-ing sound made the blonde jump slightly, whirling around to face who ever had followed him. It took him a few seconds to confirm it was the arrogant brunette, with a damn sneer adorning his features. God damn it, how had Kaiba found him so fast?!?!

A scowl and glare was sent towards his direction as he stared, mouth open slightly. The words that made their way out of his torturer's mouth weren't that nice, either. "Are you going to stare at me all night, mutt, or answer my earlier question? Some of us do have a life, you know." Extra sarcasm there, right Kaiba? God, the guy had to be laid some time.

Finally snapping out of his reverie, the 'mutt' growled beneath his breath, his own glare trying to tear the CEO to pieces. "It's none of yer business, rich boy." He wasn't going to give up that easily! He'd give Kaiba a damn fight. Yep. As long as he wasn't advancing on him like he was right now…

A few seconds later, he felt himself held in a painful position by the tall teen, elbow pressed quite roughly into his neck. Said elbow digging into a certain place that made him want to pass out at the moment. "Listen, mutt." Said with extra spite. He must have been practicing. " I don't have time for your silly little games. I have to get home to Mokuba." Ice boy was spending time with his little bro? Miracle. "Now tell me before I make you pass out and leave you here."

Ooo. He was nice.

"…N…no." Said simply and painfully, since Jou could hardly breath. Apparently, the brunette pinning him to the wall didn't want to be charged for murder, so he let go. Jou fell to the ground unceremoniously, greedily taking in the air around him. When he was finally done taking in the must needed oxygen, he glared up to his tormentor, only to find he didn't have to tilt his head very far up. Kaiba's face was right in front of him, glaring harder then he had been before. Letting out a yelp, the brown-eyed boy scrambled backwards, back hitting the wall instantly.

Swearing, he looked up to the boy towering over him. A smirk was set on his features, and Jou once again had the feeling he was going to be eaten. Why was every guy trying to either hit on him or kill him? He felt like everyone was out to get him!… OK, now he was turning into moneybags. All he needed now was a trench coat and a scowl that said "Fuck off, you're below me.".

Watching him warily, Jou stayed tense. He grew even more tense as the brunette made a move towards him, crouching and shifting position so he was kneeling in front of the blonde. Which led to said blonde wincing when two hands were slammed loudly into the bricks beside his head. Kami, wasn't the guy hurt? Apparently not, since he was smirking at the wince he had made.

"Now, puppy," Not a common used nickname, unless the duelist was feeling sorry for what was about to happen. "Are you going to co-operate or be a stubborn mutt?" The brunette should have known the answer! So he'd just stare at the CEO until he got uncomfortable and left him alone. So he started his plan, honey-brown eyes staring at the brunette in open defiance. Maybe rich boy would get the hint fast.

Of course, the blonde wasn't the best at a contest of wills when it came to the young CEO. He quickly turned away in favor of staring at the ground, glaring heatedly at the dirt to blame it for his defeat. Which led him to realizing the current position they were in. Kaiba's leg was somewhere VERY near where it shouldn't be. This caused the blonde to blush brightly as a certain dream came back to him, one which involved a wall, some chains, a cock ring, and his 'master' with a riding crop. It was a delicious dream, yes, but it wasn't good to think about it at that exact moment. It was providing him images of Kaiba as his 'master'.

A rough voice informed him that the tall duelist's patience had worn thin. " Look, mutt. I told you, I'm busy. I am not leaving until I get a answer of why you were staring at me. Soon as you provide me with that answer, I will more then happily move from this position." Could the guy read minds, too? No wonder he was a top business man.

"Once again Kaiba, no." He finally looked up and gave the other a small smirk crossed with a scowl. Which probably wasn't the best reaction he could have given the brunette. He only realized that when the teen scowled heavily, face coming dangerously close to the honey-eyed boy he was holding hostage. " Let me say this slower." Slower being extra slow. "Give. Me. My. Answer. Now."

The guy could be menacing when he really, really wanted too. But he couldn't think very brightly right now. Kaiba's breath was caressing his cheeks, and his eyes were still staring down at him heatedly. And his mouth was slightly parted. Which gave Jou the chance to admire his lips. They were a faint red, practically the perfect color, and they looked slightly swollen, which gave him the impression Kaiba had just came from a fucking session.

Realizing what he was thinking and snapping out of it, he gave a final glare before sighing. He really needed to get away from Kaiba. It was effecting his thoughts too much. "Fine. I'll tell you. Just get off of me."

The brunette blinked at the easy defeat and got off quickly, standing at his full height when he was up. The blonde glared up at him again, happy for the now-distance between their faces. " I was just looking at yer handwriting. You have very girly handwritin', Kaiba, anyone ever tell ya that? And I didn't know you were…" What was the word again? "Ambidextrous or whatever… Happy now?"

Getting up and wiping off his jeans, he avoided looking at the brunette for his reply. Which was nothing. Getting a bit nervous at the silence, he sneaked a peek at the taller boy to his right. Surprisingly, the cobalt eyed teen looked slightly surprised. Only slightly, because major emotion wasn't in his system. It would be weird if Kaiba suddenly looked really surprised. Or any other major emotion.

Waiting only a little bit more for anything, any reaction from the brunette, the blonde tensed and relaxed according to the air. Kami, it was getting cold! And why should he wait for a reaction by Kaiba? Straightening up and sending an indefinite look over to him, he started walking past him. "Seeya, rich boy."

...Why did he HAVE to break the damn silence? He could have just left silently, not disturbing moneybag's thoughts.

His voice seemed to have snapped the boy out of his little day dreams, because a sneer suddenly crossed his face, effectively replacing the confused expression of a second ago. "That wasn't so hard, now was it, pup?"

Jou froze at the sound of his tormentor's voice, only pausing briefly before replying sarcastically. "Oh, yes. That was so easy, Kaiba. Now leave me alone. I have to find my house." Not adding he would probably get kicked out for a week or so for being so late. Again.

Since there was no more noises coming from the brunette, a risked glance was sent towards him again. Cobalt eyes were looking at him thoughtfully, another unreadable expression painted onto his features. What was with Kaiba and staring at him? Turning away hurriedly, the blonde shrugged, feet starting to move out of the alley. Before some words shattered the silence once again. Where were the cars, anyways?

"I'll take you home, pup."

Those five words made the blonde teen whirl around ungracefully on his feet, effectively making his legs entwine together in an unhealthy position that made him land on his ass. "What?!" Kind of spluttered due to his disbelief that the great Seto Kaiba, ruthless CEO of Kaiba Corp., was being nice. To him. Was he on something, like drugs? Someone should tell him that that stuff was bad for your system.

Another bad reaction, because the CEO on drugs was now the CEO with a very, very angry look on his face. "Look, mutt, it's rare I'll be nice to people I don't like." Joy! All was still normal! Kaiba still hated Jou! " So either accept the ride, or walk home. I'm sure your father would love it if you came home at around 1:30 am."

Was it that late? Or was it just 1:00 am? Because it would probably take half an hour if he drove… but if he walked, that means it was probably around 12:00 am… Ok, Jou was getting confused.

Shaking his head to clear his the thoughts that would probably pledge his mind for another hour or so, he nodded slowly, coming to a decision. "Ok." He was such a master with words, wasn't he? Maybe he could make a speech about it, which would probably consist of some choice swearing mixed with his New Yorker accent. An- What the fuck was Kaiba doing?

Said teen was currently holding his hand out to the confused blonde, eyes glowering only lightly down at the blonde. Brown eyes stared at it blankly until he finally got what he was supposed to do. Grabbing it fast, as to not piss the brunette off any further, he felt his body being forced upwards in one swift motion. Kami, the guy had strength too.

They held hands for a second or two before letting go, Kaiba's face still composed while Jou's had a light blush on it. The taller of the two walked past him hurriedly after a moment's hesitation. Another blank stare followed the blue-eyed teen as Jou tried figuring out what to do again. He saw the back he was watching stop, the voice going with it speaking loudly. "Are you just going to stand there all night? Hurry up." Scrambling towards him at the command, the teen resisted the urge to scowl further.

Today had been a really, really bad day.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Smirking as the door opened slowly, the blonde stood still as the lights turned on, followed by a level stare from his master. Well, who wouldn't stare at you if you were wearing something that only girls should wear?

Currently, the blonde was wearing a brown dress that only want down to mid thigh, bringing out the mischievous glint in the his eyes. He, of course, had an apron on, the frilly white edges not touching his legs thanks to the poofiness of the dress. The front of the get-up was low, revealing quite a big portion of his chest. To top it all off, he had a white, lacy ponytail in his hair, and the worst of it…

He had blonde dog ears and a tie-on doggie tail. Because if he put the furry dildo up his ass, his master couldn't fuck him. Which was what he was aiming for, of course. He had found a small dairy of his, and being the curious puppy he was, read it. It turned out to be a fantasy journal. So he found out his Master had a lot of fantasies. And he was planning on fulfilling every single one of them.

Smirking at the appreciative blue eyes scanning his figure, he tugged at his hands. He was also tied to a bed post, with a bandana he had found in his own drawer earlier in the day. He was glad he didn't wear the bandana before, and that he didn't like it. He was hoping it would be ripped later. It was fucking hard to tie, too.

Deciding that the man had had a long enough time to drool, he smirked, only to let out a small purr. "Hello, Master…" He saw a shiver run down the body of his admirer. The plan 'seduce-him-and-get-fucked' was working so far. " I think I've been a bad boy lately, so…" He pouted adorably, trying not to laugh at the sheer excitement of it all. "I think I need to be punished… What are you going to do to me, Master?" He looked at the man so innocently, he looked like he had practiced Yugi's 'get-anything-you-want' look and perfected it. Except for the fact that he looked God damn fuckable right now.

Not receiving a huge reaction besides the first one, the blonde smirked inwardly at the challenge. So, his Master wasn't budging? He'd change that with his second method. He moaned lightly, followed by a small shudder as he pressed himself against the bed post. "Don't you think I've…uh... Been a bad boy, Master? Do... Uhn… Don't you think I should be punished?" The moans interrupted his speech only slightly as he felt his cock press against the wood, the feeling only a little pleasurable. He had to over exaggerate, of course. He would never get anywhere if he didn't use any of the stuff he thought of.

A slightly louder moan as he bit his lip, eyes closed, rubbing slightly against the wood. Ok, he was going to get a hard on just from wood?! That was fucked up… "Please, Master… Punish… oh…me." Another low moan and a shudder. Kami-sama, wouldn't any respective gay/bi guy just jump up and fuck him senseless at that picture?

Since his eyes had been closed for a short period of time, Jou let out a gasp as he felt two hands on his thighs, a breath soon caressing the back of his neck as his 'owner' spoke deeply, words filled with barely restrained lust. " Hmm, Puppy… thought you could get me to fuck you senseless, when you wanted too?" He felt a slight smirk in the other's words, and had the urge to whap him. But since his hands were tied to the bed post, that thought was rendered useless.

A pause as Jou whimpered lightly, his length still pressed against the cold wood. He wondered briefly if you could get slivers in your dick before the other spoke, voice low. "Well, it damn well worked." His body was now pressed against the back of Jou, where the blonde delightedly gasped at the bulge poking his ass. Plus the fact his lover had admitted it was a huge step in his plan.

He felt a hand reach under his dress and stroke his already large erection with a large hand, causing the blonde to moan louder then before. A chuckle sounded from behind him, followed by a lick around his ear lobe. " You look so God damn fuckable…" He swear he could read minds. " I just want to fuck you so badly, Jou-pup…" His already hardened erection hardened even more as he felt the hand leave to flit across the tip of his manhood, causing a whimper. " I just want to pound my cock up your ass right now..." He only talked dirty when he was highly aroused! Joy! Jou had accomplished his mission… Almost. But now to hurry up the fucking.

The blond panted lightly as a smirk crosses his features, pushing away from the wood to rub his ass against the other's concealed penis, moaning vocally as he felt the bulge pushing against him. "Oh, Pl… uh… Please Master… Fuck me… Punish me…" He felt the hands tighten around his cock, earning another moan. His Master must have been real aroused… He had a tent in his pants, for God's sake!

He heard light panting as the man behind him licked his neck in a hungry fashion, Jou's ass still rubbing against his erection. "Alright puppy… Now be a good puppy and scream for me…"

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

That was when Jou woke up to the virgin rays of sunlight splaying across his face from the broken blinds, squinting only slightly to recognize that he wasn't facing a bed and bedpost, but his own cracked ceiling. Which really disappointed him for a split second. Why the fuck did he always have these dreams? And why didn't he remember the man always doing those delicious things to him? It wasn't fair, when some people actually had others that did that to them, while he only had an imaginary guy who left him with sticky bed sheets.

Speaking of bed sheets, his weren't sticky this morning. Just slightly taller then they were usually. Which probably meant he just had a very, VERY large problem to deal with before school.

The blonde sighed, groaning slightly when he confirmed his suspicions. Why did every single day have to start out like this now?!

----------------------------------------------------------OoOTBC

Kami- God. If you add sama, it's just a more formal way of saying God.

Holy shit O.O. I didn't plan on making it this long.. I'm usually the person who just does short chapters, long stories… turned out this was around 4500 words O.o. Well, anyways, I hope ya like this story!! Ciao!!

Aliana

P.S.

Gomen for not updating sooner! I was…busy and stuff... I'll update sooner, I promise!


	3. Realization

Yay! The third chapter! Let's all suck and such -.-. I updated later then I should have (again), but it's due to 3 huge projects and finals. ;. So yeah. Gomen nasai minna-san! And here, I'll put all those things….

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi! I dun own the song, Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz, either.

**WARNING!: **This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi hinting. Meaning boyxboy shit. Bugger off if ya dun like this kinda stuff .

------------------------------------------------------O indicates end of dream sequence

----------------------------------------------Y indicates end of a scene

-------------------------------------------------I Indicates end of chapter

**REVIEW REMARKS:**

**Affnet:**

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**FFNet:**

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And thanks, Cat. Lurv ya beta-ing skills XD. Now on with the chapter!

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 3**

_"I dream, therefore I exist."_

_J. August Strindberg_

_OoO_

'I ain't happy, I'm feelin' glad.

I got sunshine, in a bag,

I'm useless, but not for long.

The future, is coming on.'

He nodded his blonde head to the music absent-mindedly, fingers barely snapping at his side as he continued walking across the streets and past others. Not a glance towards them as he moved his lips to form the words, and he almost smiled at his ignored place in the world. That was the good thing about living down town, in the bad parts- No one cared what you were doing, or what you did. You were just another poor sap that ended up on the wrong side of the train track.

Continuing towards the lights that marked he was halfway to school, and stopping the song slowly as it came to an end, honey brown eyes scanned the street quickly to see if there was any cars coming towards the intersection. There were only two. A ratty old truck (Something he could probably afford after a year of working at a joint of some kind), and a really, really nice, sleek, black Ferrari. Something he would never, ever be able to afford, no doubt. And it was with a growing dread, he realized, that that Godly car probably belonged to a certain someone, who owned a big ass company and that practically screamed 'I'm better then you! Grovel, mere mortal!', he knew.

Letting out a half-muffled yelp as he tried to get out of the sight of the supposed Seto Kaiba, he dove into the shop nearest to him, opening the battered door violently with a big 'bang!' to enter the store. He ducked behind some stacks of magazines that were in sight of the window, and looked carefully out at the barely visible Ferrari. He silently made a prayer to any God available that Seto Kaiba had not seen him, had not even thought about him this morning. And to let the traffic light change. He really wanted to get out of this ugly old store, out from behind this rickety old rack of…

The blonde quickly looked at the cover of one of the magazines, hand coming up the flimsy spine to get a better look in the dim light. He swore his heart stopped as he looked at the girl with the see through tank top, breasts pressed tightly against the fabric as she made a flirty pose, leaning forward with a kiss on her hand. This was… This was a…

"Hey, cutie. Ain't ya a lil' too young to be here? I don't mind, o'course…" A raspy purr sounded behind him, interrupting his conclusion, as a hand came to rest on the small of his back, freaking out Jou enough to cause him an ulcer. "How old are ya, exactly, cutie?"

He whipped around as the hand almost ventured lower, body no longer paralyzed as he looked at the man… Woman… Person with a wrecked smirk on their face. The eyes were heavily layered with make-up (that looked horrible and misplaced on the creature, Jou noticed in fear), and it was wearing a spandex shirt and short-shorts. The magazine was still clutched in his white-knuckled hand as he stared in morbid fear, and the… Person caught sight of it.

"The strong and silent type, eh? Oh, and that's a good one. Has lots of… Images worthy of jacking off too." A shrieking laugh emitted from 'the thing's' mouth as it grinned lecherously at him, hand venturing to grab the magazine.

The laugh was like a trigger for Jou, like when you were sitting in a dark room, hand on the doorknob listening for any sound, then something crashed and you had a reaction that would probably make you out to be a scared shit face.

Jou bolted.

Pulling the door practically off it's hinges as he tried getting away, he distinctly heard a loud, unfeminine shout that was deaf to his ears. He had to get away from that thing! That thing was scary! It was fucking horrid to stare at It! The It lurking in a porn shop!

He ran across the street without a glance towards anything, almost swearing too loudly as a car almost bumped into him, distinctly having the reflex to turn around and kick the bumper harshly, before continuing across the street, a look of disgust etched into his features as he tried getting the bad imagery of the Thing out of his now damaged mind. That Thing would haunt his nightmares.

After running a full five blocks (And hardly out of breathe. Damn, he was in good shape. He had the sexy body to prove it!), he slowed down into a casual walk, face impassive as only wisps of that Thing were in his mind now. At least that was done. And since he had ran, he wouldn't be late-late-late for school. Just a bit, in time for the warning bell, maybe.

It was only then that he noticed he still had the porn magazine clutched tightly in his hand.

-------------------------------------------------------------Y

His head was held in his hand once again as he stared in bored fashion at the chalk board, with all those numbers and signs and shit written across them that he wouldn't understand to easily. God, he hated this stuff. He hated math, period. He liked playing the games with Yug' and Honda (1), when the term marks came in, sure, but that was only because it was for his fun. Not the sensei's. The sensei could just laugh at his poor grades if she wanted. Just as long as she gave him a passing grade.

Another sigh as he listened dully, just for a split second, at the happy voice of the brunette in front. God, that woman was a ditz. All she did was yell and declare peace and love, while birds and such danced around her with enough sunlight to blind a blind man even more. She was annoying, sure, but she at least was a little nice. He just over exaggerated on the 'laughing at his grades' part. She'd probably get him a tutor.

Having a nervous thought that it would probably be Seto Kaiba, mister I-have-a-stick-up-my-ass Kaiba, he jotted down something that would probably effect him in the future, with a test or something. She had this big, over exaggerated voice when she was talking about something that would be on a test, practically sticking a bright, orange sticker that read 'Look at me! I'm on a test! Write me down!'. He noticed with no fascination whatsoever, that most of the students had taken down what she had just said. Except Anzu. She was dutifully taking down all notes, hand flitting across the page quickly in an effort to capture all the words flowing from their sensei's mouth. Ah, teacher's pet Anzu. He could always count on her if he had missed anything.

Finishing taking down the oh-so-important test note, Jou drifted back to his thoughts of this morning, the anger lurking deep in his heart licking slightly at his mind. He had been having a bad, bad week. That was fucking sure. First, the detention. Second, the fat man. Third, being molested by Kaiba (Something he would never speak of again, only because that would probably cause another bout of sexual frustration, aimed at him, by the CEO). Fourth, the porn shop. And finally, fifth, finding out that he had gone through the 'little shop of pornographic horrors', as he dubbed it, for nothing. Simply because the black Ferrari, which had caused all his horror, wasn't Fucking Kaiba's.

The blonde wished he had found that out by any other means. Or by no means at all, by not finding out at all. But he had. Unfortunately. He had even saw Kaiba with his own two eyes before he had pieced two and two together. After getting out some images of 'his master', he could do with out.

He had just been getting rid of the magazine that he had stolen (He had taken a peek shamelessly, and found a very nice picture. He took that one), and had only walked a block to make a discovery at the next biggest intersection. A discovery that was wearing a helmet and was straddling a motorcycle.

He had drooled at first, of course, because the guy was wearing a tight, blue uniform of some kind that clung in all the right places (A very nice view of a very, equally nice ass), and it had provided Jou with some very pleasing images of the guy in his dreams, face shadowed, with much less on. That was before he noticed that it was his school uniform. And that the guy had a "KC" thingie on the back of his motorcycle. It only took Jou a second to figure out who it was.

Seto fucking Kaiba.

God, he hated uniforms now. Especially the gym ones, once he thought about it. Sure, he had a chance to drool at the girls with tight shirts and short-short-shorts, and also at the guys with spandex and tight shirts. Nothing to the imagination? Definitely. Something he would probably have wet dreams over if that position wasn't already fulfilled? Of course. But he still hated them. Others got a view of him, too. But he tended to look at the good side of it. The wonders of being bi, having a sexy body, and hormones.

But back to the point. Kaiba straddling a motorcycle. Very drool worthy. But it was Kaiba. And that poisoned his mind, ruining all images that would fit nicely into that position. It was KAIBA, for God's sake! But just before the guy sped off in his own unique, arrogant way, he still couldn't resist a pleasing view of Kaiba's backside.

Oh, the horrors of being bi, having a body that reacted at the littlest things, and hormones.

He sighed happily as the bell rang, effectively ending his dangerous thoughts and signaling first period being over. Today was going by slowly, and he hoped, desperately, that he could get through the week with out mutilating himself or another (By another, he hoped he meant Kaiba). But he seriously doubted it.

And, God, it was only Tuesday.

------------------------------------------------------------------------Y

"No… Not here… We'll get caught…" He wiggled uselessly under the body pinning him to the wall, the man's hands roaming up his shirt and teasing his nipples lightly as a warm mouth kissed and nipped a way down his throat mischievously.

"I don't care, Jou-pet. I want to see you moan right now, maybe even scream my name, hn? It was your fault you had your pants undone already to… Cause the impulse." The deep voice stated softly as one hand took itself out of his shirt, only to start groping him expertly.

"But… Nnn… We could get suspended…" A moan finally tore his way out of throat as he found out that a hand had entered the back of his already undone pants and had slipped a finger inside of him teasingly. He didn't want this to happen here! They'd be caught! Then the principal would be wondering why he and another, very male student had been doing 'unnecessary activities' in the men's bathroom.

The men's bathroom, for God's sake.

"Hn. Hasn't stopped you from getting into trouble before, puppy…" Another finger was inserted, without mercy, into the blonde, and another strangled cry fell from his lips.

A rough kiss was given to the blonde in hopes of quieting him, a free hand tangling in the teen's locks. The other man demanded entrance into his mouth almost instantly, and they shared a passionate kiss before Jou's hands pressed desperately against his captor's chest.

The kiss stopped after both parties pulled away, lightly panting. " I… I have to get to class, now…" A flushed blush stained his cheeks angrily, looking down at the floor and, he noticed with interest, the hardly visible bulge in front of his boyfriend's pants. He felt the fingers being taken out of him slowly, only with a slight wince, and a whispered voice sounding near his ear.

"Your mine tonight, though, Jou-pup."

----------------------------------------------------------- O

"Katsuya? Katsuya Jounouchi?"

He snapped awake, blonde head previously in his arms looking hurriedly up at the board, where Mr. Farrien looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "I'll trust that you weren't sleeping, and paying attention? What page and paragraph are you supposed to be reading right now, Mr.Jounichi?"

He quickly sneaked a glance at the student next to him, happily noting the guy was helping him out by pointing at the exact paragraph. Good guy. He'd have to thank him later. "We're on page 256, Farrien-sensei, and reading the 5th paragraph. And, Hai, I was paying attention."

He grinned as Mr.Farrien gave him an approving look, before glancing down at his own textbook. "Continue. And I need to see you, before the next class starts, about a test you missed, alright?" Jou nodded, before reading what was laid out in front of him. "Hai. An ecosystem consists of a dynamic set of living organisms…"

----------------------------------------------Y

Eating. Jou couldn't explain how much he loved the challenge of stuffing your face with food while others looked on, disgusted by how much you could eat, whilst not choking. Damn it if his stomach wasn't a bottomless pit, or if he wasn't enjoying it. If it was in front of you, eat it, right? That was his philosophy. Unless it was something gross, like, per say, a human brain. He wouldn't eat that. Unless he was fooled by thinking it was something good, because maybe it's appearance had been changed, or something of the like.

But, back to eating. He didn't want to puke everything up now, did he? Not with those thoughts, those thoughts that could also include Kaiba in a tutu suit. Very, very disturbing.

Everyone continued eating, with only Anzu giving him disapproving looks at his eating habits ("Jou! Don't eat that fast! It's totally gross!"), conversation light as it rippled across the hungry teens once in awhile. He didn't feel like talking. He felt like eating. And so did everyone else, so why not do it?

The silence, and his thoughts were abruptly stopped as the blonde turned his head towards his best friend, busily chewing on a chocolate bar. "Jou, since you don't have detention today, why don't we go to the arcade? We haven't been there in awhile." A smile was brought along with the request, not a single piece of food stuck in those perfectly white teeth. Sometimes, he envied Yug'.

"Sure, Yug'. I still have to kick your ass in one game, right?" He had personally taken on the goal of beating Yugi at pool, a game he thought he mastered a long time ago. But, some how, Yugi still managed to win. King of games? Oh yeah. "Just have to stop and get some money from my house, alright? I just spent it all on lunch." A sheepish grin as a blueberry muffin was half way to his mouth, a shrug accompanying it before he bit into it hungrily.

"Yeah, I wanna go with you guys too. Whaddaya say, Ryou, you coming too?" Honda looked at the albino curiously after his words, hitting the boy on the shoulder softly, as if to coax him. "C'mon. It'll be fun."

The white haired boy blushed lightly at the brunette's ministrations, hands folded neatly in his lap. "Ok, Honda. I'll come. I just need to go get some money, too." A small smile at all of them, and Honda grinned wildly, turning towards Anzu. "How about you, Anzu? There's 4 of us going, it'd be cool if we got you to come too." Anzu shook her head, letting a sorry smile drift over to Honda.

"Sorry guys, I can't. I promised I'd help my mother clean out the attic today. She said we just might turn it into a home-made dance studio!" A blissful look lit up her face as she smiled at the prospect, the mood spreading over all of them.

"That's great! You'd get to practice dancing more!" Yugi stated, smile brighter then a few minutes ago. "You'll definitely get a dancing scholarship in no time!"

"Yeah, Anzu. That'd be great, hey? Then we can all come to your professional dance recitals and tease you about it later!" The blonde let a grin paint itself on his face as the female of the group gave him a dirty glare, about to send a verbal lashing towards him before he noticed something. "Sorry I can't stay with you guys longer, but I have to go talk to Farrien-sensei about a test I missed. Catch you later!" A wink as he stood up hurriedly and picked up his messy tray. Couldn't be late now, could he?

Depositing his tray on the garbage block nearest to the door he was going out of, he decided to make a quick detour to the washroom. He was sure Farrien-sensei would be slightly annoyed if he kept on moving uncomfortably in his seat. He really needed to go.

Entering the bathroom and thanking anyone who had the thought of putting the washrooms near to the cafeteria, the blonde looked around quietly before starting to undo his pants. He hated doing his business in front of people. He always felt like they were sizing him up, comparing him to themselves. It was gross. Not saying that he didn't have a large dick, of course, but he didn't like waving it around.

Undoing the button that held his uniform together, he heard the door swing open eerily and a few footsteps, before they stopped. He glanced up quickly at the mirror nearest to him, and his face decided to abandon all blood. Why, oh why, did Seto Kaiba have to be EVERYWHERE?

Whipping around (And not paying mind to his state of semi-undress) he glared fiercely at the young CEO. "Kaiba, why the hell are you here?"… That probably wasn't the most intelligent question he could ask. And he could see it on the brunette's face, that it was, actually, quite stupid. Well, there was a first time for everything… and second… maybe third…

"Others do need to use the washrooms, also, mutt. I'm surprised you haven't figured out that you're not the only one in the world yet." The smirk only grew as a low growl came from deep in his throat, the warning falling on deaf ears.

"Piss off Kaiba. It's not as if you haven't taken your head outta your ass to see that the world ain't some place where everyone's out to get you, ya paranoid freak." Kind of grumbled the last part when he noticed that Kaiba wasn't looking him in the eye, or any where near his face. His gaze was a long way down, actually. And he could only guess what Kaiba must have been thinking.

Scowling (but it was ruined by the blush that, once again, stained his cheeks), he placed a hand on his hip, noticing that his pants were a bit lower then he had originally expected. "What are you looking at, you pervert?! I never knew you liked guys. I'm never going into a bathroom with you again." That might have been taken it to far, but he was just a little angry. He swore, Kaiba was always around at the worst moments of his life, just there to mock him.

Yes, that was probably the wrong thing to say. Jou found that was painfully obvious as he was slammed against the bathroom wall, arm choking off his air supply as he was held up in the air, wheezing, for the second time that week. He cracked one golden eye open with difficulty, the stare clashing with two deep blue eyes. Jou was surprised at how much anger those dark blue orbs could hold, before the CEO spoke.

"I am not, in anyway, inclined towards males, Mutt." Yes. Definite malice. "Don't ever say I am again, mongrel."

He couldn't resist a little grin as he gasped for air, opened eye half closed. "Have some issues there, Kaiba? Geez, don't take yer problems out on others." That probably wasn't the best thing to say either, but at least he wasn't pressed against the wall anymore. He almost collapsed if it weren't for two hands that held his wrists to the sides of him, arms bent at a slightly odd angle. He was afraid to look up as he greedily took in air, eyes closed.

He expected to be beaten up, maybe hit for that little comment. God knew the guy had massive problems. He was going to have a heart attack at such a young age, for all the surprises Kaiba was giving him. "And if I do have issues, mutt? Nothing you can't deal with, right? It's your fault, then, maybe?"

And something rang inside his head at some of the words spoken inside that sentence, maybe the fault part. But he suddenly remembered his dream in science class, the little bathroom scene were the man was blaming him for his arousal. The position, the want, the passion… It suddenly all came back to him as he remembered something else.

They practically had the same eyes.

Kaiba's eyes were filled with anger, an unfound hate, while his master's were filled with a hungry passion. But they were the same color. The same damn color he dreamt about, loved, grown used to seeing in his dreams. Just not in reality.

So, after kicking Kaiba rather harshly in a place no man should be kicked, Jou did something he would be doing for the second time that day.

He bolted.

-----------------------------------------------------------I

God, I suck at updating -.-. I am never able to do this stuff fast! It's been a looong time since I've updated, so I am sincerely sorry for that ;;;. Anyways, I had tests too, so I have half an excuse!

... I suck at excuses ;;.

So, yeah. Thank you for actually having patience with me, if you did XD. And here's the translator thingie, and the note:

Sensei- teacher

Hai- Yes

1- There is this game that Yugi, Honda, and Jou played in the manga I read… It's where they added up their scores, to see who got higher then the other. I'm just too lazy to look it up right now -.-.

So, yeah. Third chapter, which I'm actually dedicated too! Whoot fer me. So, yeah. Ciao people! XP


	4. Phone Calls

It's time for the… Fourth chapter: silence :… Anyways, yeah, the fourth chapter is here, and it's slightly more subdued due to Jou finding out that a certain brunette is the one hunting his dreams. All fine and dandy, really, except they still hate each other's guts. Happy little love story? No, but not angst filled either.

And now, the disclaimers, review remarks, and warnings.

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

**WARNING:** This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi hinting. Meaning boyxboy shit. Bugger off if ya dun like this kinda stuff .

-O...O-indicates end of dream sequence

-oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo- indicates end of a scene

-O-o-o-o-o-o-o Indicates end of chapter

**REVIEW REMARKS!**

(affnet)

Kat: Thanks Yay for Bakura plushies and the like XD. He did all those things in the span of how ever the hell long it took me to write this. And sorry for not updating sooner-.-;;;;.

RabidSqurl: Thank you for thinking I have that knack, and for liking the story. And here's an update XD. Thank you . And here's the fourth chapter! (after so long -.-)

(ffnet)

KatrinaKaiba: Thanks XD. And here's the update!

Cafe Latte: Wheeee. Thank ya . And sorry for the update taking so long!

Katt: Lmao XD Had fun reading that part, did you? Thanks, bye, and here's an update!

Yume no Zencho: You are right XD Not a happy Kaiba! Thanks for the review, and here's the fourth chapter!

i didn't do it: Thanks for the compliment . Glad to know someone thinks that XD;. And, ah, hope ya had fun XD;;;. Here's the next chapter, and thanks!

KaRa: O.O! I hope you didn't die yet! And thanks! Here's the update!

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otaku22: I'm glad you like it so much! And I'm trying to fit all the characters in, and not trying to bash Tea O.- (very hard thing to do!). Sorry for making you wait so long, and here's the update!

reality's dream: Here's the update, and take a few breathes in between laughter .

blue rain: Sorry for not updating soon XD;. That stupid thing called life got in the way... Anyways! Here's the update, and thanks!

secretdesire: Sorry for not updating really, really soon ;;. Glad you love it, and here's the awaited chapter! Thanks!

ttSerenity: Glad you think it's getting better as it progresses! I'm trying to build up to the big finale XD;;. And here's the next, long-awaited chapter . Thanks, and Hope you enjoy!

And there we have it! End of the Review Remarks XD;. Anyways, continue reading, and I hope you enjoy!

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 4**

_I can never decide whether my dreams are the result of my thoughts, or my thoughts the result of my dreams._

_- D.H. Lawrence_

That was rather… Embarrassing.

Sure, tripping in front of your crush was kind of embarrassing. Farting in front of the whole school was mildly embarrassing. Having your pants pulled down, to reveal that you wore pink boxers with deformed teddy bears splotched here and there, was extremely embarrassing.

But running out of the men's bathroom with your dick hanging out, after being confronted and almost molested by a sexually frustrated CEO that took offense if you didn't call him straighter then the stick that was shoved up his ass?

That was let-me-be-swallowed-up-by-a-big-hole-and-let-me-DIE-painfully embarrassing.

He had actually made a girl faint, after she came out from the cafeteria, and found him there, standing gloriously near the lockers in all his… Ok, he wasn't going to say the size of his john. But he was standing there, and she had come along, and… yeah. She had fainted.

To say he didn't zip up his pants fast was an understatement.

Before anyone could ask just why the girl had decided to take a nap on the floor, he had made a hasty retreat to his locker, half jogging and half running to the desired location.

A brief contemplation brought Jou to the conclusion that he had enough school for today. Like, Seriously, who would want to stay in the next four classes with the guy that did unspeakable things with and to you in your dreams, and was a hated bastard in reality? No one he knew. Unless… while, what ever. He wasn't going to think. His brain was bleeding already.

Opening his locker and grabbing the homework Mr. Yuriko had so graciously given everyone, he paused for a second to think (last time for today, he hoped) of an excuse, for tomorrow, if anyone asked. Sick? Too… unoriginal. Suddenly being called upon by his dad, for a task of some sort? They'd phone him, he'd be drunk, they'd take him away. Sudden job emergency? Perfect, if he had a job. His sister needed his help with something? That was it.

He sighed when he was at the exits, opening it quickly and stepping out. Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it.

He really hated this week. And it was only Wednesday.

-ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-

The blonde smiled as he leaned back against a warm body, long legs bent comfortably before him as a small laugh escaped with a small breathe. This moment was near to perfect. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and the sun was sitting high in the sky, blessing the couple who sat under the cherry tree. The only thing that wasn't right was that the moment would have to end soon.

Sometimes he cursed the fact that his lover owned his own company by birthright.

It was a surprise, though, when he was walking home and, suddenly, an old green car with chipped paint had pulled up beside him, with a hurried 'get in!'. His lover hadn't been at school for two days, and that had worried him, so… Yeah. He had acted on impulse and gotten in. Imagine, to his delight, that it was his boyfriend, and the cobalt-eyed teen had sped out of the city like the demons of hell were following him. To bring him here, to a secluded spot in the woods, where it was virtually deserted of any living thing, except birds, who could care less about them.

A breathe gently caressed his ear and cheek as he felt a chin perch itself on his shoulder, a small chuckle sounding right after. He had to smile and laugh happily at this. He was in a good mood today, really. His lover had found time, just for him, to set up a picnic, away from the media and everyone else. He had even put Mokuba on hold, just for this stolen moment. Of course, they still could reach the raven-haired boy if anything did happen…

"What's so funny? An inside joke, perhaps?" He glanced out of the corner of his eye and smiled, catching the cobalt eyed teen's mouth teasing a smile. He really, really loved him…

"Nothing's funny! I just thought about how perfect this moment is! Don't you agree?" He finally turned to look at the man he stole this moment with, gingerly reaching up a hand and brushing some brunette strands back. Another teasing smile brushed the man's lips before he stole a kiss from Jou quickly, nodding.

"Hn. Your absolutely right, Jou-puppy." The arms wrapped around his waist moved only slightly so that the teen holding him was set more comfortably against the tree, legs bending so that they were mirroring the same position his were. He felt a feather light kiss placed on his neck, and another small laugh. "The moment's perfect because I have the person I love with me."

The blonde laughed loudly, bending his head at another feather light kiss on his neck. "Never knew ya as such a romantic, Seto!" He turned his face towards the CEO's again, smiling widely as another laugh escaped him. "But that's why I love you, right? 'Cos your just a bundle of mysterious, right?"

A real smile, one that wasn't teasing or smirking, painted itself on Kaiba's face, and he had to remember to breath. Gods, he was beautiful. "For you, I'm willing to open up." And then he was being kissed softly, and he couldn't breath this time, because Seto Kaiba was stealing his breath away.

-O...O-

… He was never, EVER going to fall asleep in the park again.

It was bad enough that he had stupid dreams which involved sex and a mysterious guy (Which, he now knew, was Kaiba, for some absurd reason), but to have dreams that they were having some mushy date, where he actually said 'I love you'!

That was just, plainly, crossing the line.

He stared up at the sky as he tried to calm down his rapidly beating heart, the fluffy, white clouds floating lazily above him resembling nothing but fluffy, white clouds. Great. They always resembled something or another, like ice cream or a burger. Something like food. But, for the one time he really needed to take his mind off things, they were plain clouds. Plain fluffy clouds. And 'they look like marshmallows!' didn't count this time.

A sigh escaped his lips as he looked past the clouds and into the blue sky, eyebrows bunched into a thoughtful frown. Why the hell was Kaiba, of all people, in his dreams? He didn't like Kaiba. He hated his guts. And he was sure, more sure then anything he'd ever been sure of, that the feeling was mutual. Hell, Kaiba probably hated him a little more then Jou hated him, if not a lot more.

Why the fuck did Kaiba hate him again? Probably because he was 'a loudmouth punk that couldn't keep his emotions under control'. He forgot who had said that to him once. Probably Hiratana (1). Always was threatening him someway or another…

And why did he hate Kaiba? Simple. He was a cold-hearted, stuck-up, 'look-at-me-I'm-better-then-you' type of person who gave a shit about no one, and treated everyone like they were dirt. That's why. He God damn hated that bastard.

He felt his stomach rumble after a few more minutes of thinking, and he spared a sheepish grin to the sky above. No more time to think about ice-cold bastards and the dreams they filled. Now, he had to go eat.

-oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-

"Don't worry, Yug'! I'm fine. Shizuka just needed a hand, for Dad's birthday." And, thankfully, that bastard wasn't here right now. "And, yeah, can I get those notes from the last two classes?" He was very thankful right now that he had had those last two classes with Yug' that day. Coincidence ruled all. "Really? Thanks buddy. I knew I could count on ya! Seeya later, k? Dad's home. Later!"

He hung up the phone rather quickly, in fear that the petite boy on the other end would ask more questions, anything that would maybe lead him to talk about his dad, the bastard that threw beer bottles at him for him to clean up or cook. His dad never heavily abused him, unless he was home late or did something real bad…

Lost in thought for the moment (he really needed to stop thinking so much), he registered only after the first ring that the phone was ringing under his hand. He sure was on the phone lots lately…

After the second ring, he finally picked it up, answering with a friendly "Hello, Jounouchi residence!" And after a moment of silence, a voice spoke, and he almost crushed the phone from how tight he was holding the device that allowed him to hear what he was hearing.

"Hey… Brat… Get yer ass down 'ere… I'm in da cop place.. Summetin for harassing a whore… Bring some money to spring me, ya hear?" His dad's drunken voice carried over the line, sounding a tad bit confused as why he was there. Harassing? His Dad had been harassing some woman? Dear Kami…

"Uhhh... I can't, Dad. We don't have no money, remember? You took it all today…" He knew this because he had missed supper (it was now 10:30 pm), on the account that there was no food, and no money for ordering pizza. He had only had a half a bag of stale crackers and a little bit of water, since the water was really greasy here.

He heard a low growl, a usual warning of oncoming violence, if the elder Jounouchi had been here. "Listen 'ere, brat. You bring some money… Else I'll beat yer ass inta the ground. Ya here me, brat?"

Wow, his Dad's voice was a lot stronger, more sober, when he was threatening people. He didn't get to hear more, because, suddenly, faint swearing was heard in the background, and a calm, cool voice replaced that of his father's. "Hello, may I ask who I'm speaking too?"

He made a small gulping sound, eyes widening when he realized how this person sounded. They sounded like one of those people, the ones that took pity on the poor and tried making their lives better, only succeeding in making it worse, and thought they did 'good' in the eyes of God. His voice was still bold when he answered, New York accent a bit stronger then before. "I'm da guy you just hauled off da phone's kid. When's mah dad gonna get home?"

A sigh, as if saying 'Oh, one of these kids. I'll have to make their life better.'. "I'm afraid your father is going to be staying here, and he has to have a trail later for his offence. He's being trailed for sexually harassing a woman on public grounds. He may be charged around… Let's say, 2500, if he gets off lightly. "

That kind of broke his train of thought. 2500! He couldn't round up that much money! Unless, of course, he did some stuff that would get him into even more trouble then he'd be getting into now. It was the crisp, clear voice on the phone that brought him out of his panicked thoughts. "Jounouchi? How old are you?"

His answer was automatic, with out thinking about the consequence of releasing his age to this person. "17 (2)." He realized his mistake quickly, almost hit himself and moaned. But no use crying over spilled milk, right?

A short silence followed, then the voice spoke again, a bit softer. "Jounouchi, we'll have to send someone over there to pick you up, since you are still under age to be alone in a house. Unless, of course, you have someone in mind that you can stay with until you can pay your father's charges?"

He was, again, snapped out of his reverie, and he answered confidently, voice back in place as he answered this person, that sounded like they did care, but were only out to get some money. Damn ass kissers. "Ya, I do. Dun bother to send anyone to pick me up. And I'll get da money as soon as I get it."

Then he hung up, with no goodbyes or anything that would make him seem friendly. That would be the last thing he wanted, to be friendly to an ass kisser, a person that would do anything for the consent of a higher person. A business man of some kind that would smirk down at you and decide that you could use a few more coins for being a good little doggie.

He hurriedly got ready for bed, ignoring the person on the phone's request to go over to someone's house, be safer maybe. They didn't say 'be safer', the genderless voice on the other line. He just wished, someone besides his friends, would worry about him for a second. As if his dad would worry. He only worried about how much money he could spend on beer and smokes or anything that would kill him faster.

An hour later (or was it a few minutes? He couldn't tell…), he found himself laying in bed, curled around his hands and breathing slowly. Maybe he could ask Honda if he could stay at his house for a week or two, then move on to Yug', then maybe Anzu. He knew for sure that he'd have to move around a bit, maybe for the next year or so, so he could get the money. He'd sure have to work his ass off now. He jut hoped he wouldn't have to do… Stuff like…

He didn't really want to think about that now. He just wanted a good sleep. He'd have to stop thinking, again, just to get a decent sleep. Maybe. But maybe this was some terrible nightmare, right? Where people didn't harass others, where father's weren't going to jail, where he didn't have to lie to his friends, where stupid CEO's didn't jump you in the bathroom, where they didn't live in your dreams…

The last thought before Jou fell into a dreamless sleep was that people like the person on the phone kissed people like Kaiba's ass to make their lives better then his…

-O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hell yes, I suck at updating. I am so sorry, anyone who wants to read this fic! I went into a writing funk, then I got lazy, then I got a job… And I was procrastinating, too. So, sorry. Plus I made this chapter so…gross. I'm at an all time low in writing ;;.

Thanks for having patience with me, once again! Here's the notes:

(1) Hiratana was Jounichi's old gang boss. He was always calling him the right hand man instead of boss (with him), and threatened him lots, from my knowledge ;;;.

(2) I'm thinking that this is around battle city, all the arcs… So this story is kinda a AU, I guess ;;;;.

So, yeah, thanks once again for being patient with me! Thanks for reading, and… Yeah. Ciao!


	5. Anger

Holy shit do I ever procrastinate lots! -.-. Sorry to all that looked forward to this chapter, because, yeah, I suck at updates! So, I'll get on with this quickly, because you all probably want the story right away, for those who read, ne ne? So, the disclaimers, warnings, and review remarks…

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

**WARNING: **This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi hinting. Meaning boyxboy shit. Bugger off if ya dun like this kinda stuff.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O - Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one is the dream!  
**  
REVIEW REMARKS:**

**AFFnet.**

**Kat**: Yay! I'm loved! X3. And, you guessed it XP. Jou's Oh My God big XD. Something for Seto! XD lmao. I liked that line too. And Thanks! Though… yeah XD;;. I'll say later in the chapter ;. Thanks, and here's an update Kat!

**BrokenDesire:** -hands over a Seto and Jou plush- Since you asked so nicely XP. And my updates do suck! But, mweh. Here's the chapter you've been waiting for!  
**  
Renee:** Enthusiasm is good XP. Here's chapter 5!  
**  
SaphireMMTPX:** I'm kinda mean to Jou ;;. XD Lmao. But it's fun! And here's the next chapter XP. I'm sure you'll like the end!

**Silvershadowfire:** Thanks, and Lmao! Yes he does XD. Like, c'mon… You have a hot bishie in front of you, glaring, now what are you gonna do? –coughfuckhimcoughhackcough-… And if you knew me, you'd know it wasn't gonna be easy! Anyway, thanks for reading!

**Kaibajoey1:** Welcome XD. Lmao. Here's another update, and maybe you'll get one… later XP.

**Euphoria:** Sorry I didn't update sooner ;;. I was on vacation! And I already redid the first one XD;;. And, nu, he is not. He don't seem like a virgin ;;… But, anyway, thanks and here's the long awaited (maybe not) update!

**Kandi:** Thanks, and I'll try! Only you guys can decide if I'm doing this good enough…. ;

**Darcy:** I plan too! And thanks!

**storyfreak**: He should know better ;;. But he doesn't. So… yeah. Thanks, and here's an update!

**Miser Meaku:** Thanks! You're making me want to continue writing XD. And dun be deprived ;;. Look for other, better stories! Lmao. And I already changed it! Thanks for reading, again!

**Ffnet**

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**Otaku22:** You changed your name too! XD; Anyway! And who says he isn't? XP I'm not going to spoil it though! And here's the long update!

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**NOTE: **I MAY be changing the summary for this story soon! But (maybe) not the name, since I've realized 'When All else Fails' doesn't fit into this story as much as I thought it would . So, please be patient and wait for the news of deciding! And if you have any comments, please feel free to say them! PLUS! I am no longer going to put a 'poem' in the chapter titles, because it no longer applies to the story!

And… ON with the chapter!

**When All Else Fails, chapter 5**

_A dream is a microscope through which we look at the hidden occurrences in our soul_.  
Erich Fromm (Thank you, Sarah.)

The blonde swore colorfully, the sound muffled due to the toast in his mouth as he ran, back pack gripped tightly in his left hand and the other trying to button up his school uniform decently. Stupid piece-of-shit alarm clock! It was supposed to wake him up an hour before school, not ten minutes until!

He hadn't even had time for a shower, for God's sake! His hair felt heavy and greasy on his head, and his face felt dirty. He couldn't even have washed his face. And he had to grab the toast off of the counter, and it was hard, because he had made it last night, as a late midnight snack. Stupid, stupid, stupid alarm clock!

He scaled a fence, taking the left he knew so well from being so late so many times. He really, really needed a new alarm clock. The thing was his Dad's when he was young! Maybe he should have gotten one a long time ago…

_Yeah, Maybe, Jou._ He thought sarcastically. _Maybe you wouldn't be late every other day._

The blonde quickly looked at a clock in a shop window as he passed it, taking a bite out of the toast and swearing once again. Two more minutes! Maybe, just MAYBE, he would be able to sneak into class. If the teacher was just a minute late…

Domino high soon loomed overhead after a minute, during the fore mentioned minute that Jou had jumped over a dog, nearly ran into a punk on a skateboard, eaten all of his toast, and finished buttoning the top button on his blue uniform. Maybe the teachers would let him off, for once, because he actually buttoned up his shirt like a snob…

'Snob' was officially related to Seto Kaiba. This gave Jou a fleeting thought of how he would have to face that bastard in Mr.Yuriko's class today, and he made a quick face as a lady passed by. Stupid Kaiba and his stupid molestation techniques. Why was the stupid, rich bastard suddenly bugging him all of the time, anyway? He had seen him everyday this week, after school, which was strictly no-jerk-no-Kaiba time. What was Kaiba, some stalker!

Honey brown eyes looked overhead at the clock on the tall 'torture center', another beautiful swear coming out of his mouth. Not even 15 seconds. He'd have to go to class with out his books if he was going to make it on time, and run. Well, at least it was way better then having another unexcused late on his record. What was he going to say, if he was late, for his excuse?

'_Oh! My father's in jail for groping some random woman on the bad side of town, and my alarm didn't go off, and my responsible father usually wakes me up by hitting me in the head if it doesn't go off! Is that ok, than?'_

Oh, yes, that would get him sent to a 'kids-are-so-poor-we-need-to-HELP-them!' place. Foster home. Whatever.

The blonde almost rejoiced when he saw his classroom after bursting open the doors, grateful that his class was right near the front doors and grateful to hear the bell only now. Yes! He would make it! Ms.Jonbiwa would excuse a few seconds, because she was nice, though still ditzy. Yes, yes, yes! He wouldn't be late!

"Mr.Katsuya Jounouchi! Why are you running around the halls at this hour? Class has already started, and you look like you're not ready! Are you late?"

He came to a screeching halt outside his classroom door, the loud, baritone voice bouncing off the walls and hitting him with a cringe. No! No, no, no! Please let it not be him! And he was so close too! Nooooooo!

The hand on his shoulder, which was steadily becoming tighter and tighter, roughly turned him around to look at the rugged face, which was currently scowling full force, trying to look tough. At least Kaiba made it look sexy when he scowled! This guy made him want to vomit up the toast that he had so dutifully eaten down! Couldn't let food go to waste now…

Snapped out of his thoughts as he was shook, he cringed again. It just had to be him, didn't it?

'Him', was Mr. Rivedo, the advanced English teacher, an American that claimed he once used to love Japan, but now wish that someone would burn it to the ground. The man had a scar along the side of his face (he said he had got it in a fight against 5 men. Yeah, right.), and his eyebrows were hardly there. His eyes were beady and too far apart, and his hair was a piss yellow color, always shiny from grease. He was one of those people that took everything seriously when sober, even going to the point of hurting someone if they disobeyed the rules. And, right now, Jou was in the guy's line of fire.

Fuuuuuuuck.

"Hmm, Katsuya? Did you just mumble something? No matter, anyway! You're going to the principal's office! Now hurry up and walk there slowly or else I'll be forced to drag you there and tie you to the chair." The angry scowl that was still scrawled on his face stretched into something that might have been a smirk, if only if it wasn't for the ugliness of the man himself.

The duelist nodded and mumbled something close to 'Yes, sir…' and began to walk slowly off, receiving another ugly smirk from the blonde teacher.

He also received a smack on the ass.

The brown-eyed teen straightened up immediately in shock, refusing to look back as he heard a raspy laugh come from behind him. What the fuck? Was that a way of hitting on him? Why was every man he met up with suddenly a fucking pervert!

He resisted the urge to groan as he trudged down the hallway, hand coming up to cover his face, reminding him of how dirty he felt right now. And the smack on the ass wasn't helping him feel any cleaner, either. The blonde remembered what day it was after he lifted his hand off and decided to stare at the ceiling, and this time, he did moan.

God damn it, it was only Thursday!

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Maybe it wasn't such a good time to be going into the principal's office right now.

Loud yelling was coming from the small waiting room connected to the actual principal's office, the voice yelling sounding too angry while the other voice was calm, quietly explaining something or other to the person giving the verbal assault.

Maybe, he could go to the bathroom to wash his face and then, by the time he got back, the yelling would have stopped and the angry person would have gone, probably in a car or something. He couldn't really quite distinguish the voices, hear if it was a mother or father complaining to the principal about a daughter or son in trouble, or a student trying to get out of trouble for something they did do, but didn't want to take the blame for.

On second thought, why was he missing this? He could be laughing hysterically (albeit silently) as the principal quietly handed some person's ass to them! It would be even better if it was one of those rich, snobby parents that thought the world owed them everything, and that their kids were just absolutely perfect. The ones that thought Jou and other poor punks didn't deserve to breathe their 100 purified air, straight from the Caribbean. The blonde snorted as another unbidden thought came up. Kaiba's mum and dad would probably be one of those people, if he had any parents.

In a quick bout of genius, the blonde unbuttoned his shirt again, happy with his old look, and hunched over slightly, gaining the immediate status of a no-good punk that loved five finger discounts. Hah. It was good to be something that pissed rich people off.

He dragged his feet towards the door in a bored fashion, his facial expression well matching his walk as he lifted a hand and turned the knob effortlessly. He pushed open the door rather noisily, foot pressed against the bottom and hand pushing the knob back roughly as the room in front of him blossomed, showing something he thought he'd never see.

Seto Kaiba. In a principal's office.

And he was very, very pissed off.

Honey brown eyes widened slightly as he watched the scene, taking in the yelling, red-faced Kaiba to the calm, relaxed principal. Usually, the roles would be reversed, wouldn't it? Kaiba acting all calm and cool, while someone he was threatening to take their job away from was yelling furiously, making their own threats? That's what he thought, anyway.

He quietly made his way to the chair furthest away from the violence, slumping into it and looking downwards to avoid any stares he might have received when he entered. God damn it, he wasn't ready to face rich boy yet! It was only yesterday afternoon he had realized that it was moneybags himself haunting his dreams! He was at least hoping he could avoid the cobalt-eyed teen for the rest of the week. But, of course, the Gods were still trying to make his life a living hell. And they were probably having plenty of fun doing it, too.

The words being yelled finally made their way into his hazed, troubled mind. He tried not looking up as Kaiba's voice got deadly quiet, and he remembered, briefly, the duelist's face when he was dead furious. It made him shiver. Yes, he was kind of scary when he was that mad.

Hell, he was VERY scary.

His ears perked up as he caught more words as he continued to look down. Well, at least they were ignoring him, right?

"I refuse to fail this year because of your ignorance, Mr.Yaminako. I am a businessman, as you should know! I cannot always waste my time on school and such! I run a billion-dollar corporation, and it's difficult to balance schoolwork, taking care of my brother, and my company, along with other chores. Why do I need to attend more then half the school year, Mr.Yaminako, if I already have above average grades?"

"Because, Mr.Kaiba, you are still, under law, under age. You can be taken away to a foster home, with your little brother, if you didn't have the special treatment. You need a high school degree, also, and then a college or university degree in business to be a respected, and an actual, businessman. You may have been trained, Mr.Kaiba, but that does not mean that training was proper. I am here to make sure you are still getting an education you may or may not deserve. And, please, I know you are probably the most intelligent person in this room, but that doesn't stop me from making sure you'll be more respected."

"That is a load of meaningless nonsense, Mr.Yaminako! This conversation is over. And if you decide to push this request on the law, I know, for a fact, that it will not pass."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed at this, the burning blaze of actual emotion burning down into a spark. His hands were clenched tightly around his suitcase handle. It clenched tighter, if possible, at Mr.Yaminako's next words.

"We'll see about that, Mr. Kaiba. Now, please, get to class."

Said in such a cool and calm voice, and as if he had the final word. Jou almost felt pissed for Kaiba, the guy that tormented him day and night. God. That was harsh.

Apparently, rich boy thought so, too. His jaw clenched tightly as he turned around, dark blue coat swishing in the invisible wind. His eyes, which now seemed way darker then before, finally saw the blonde hunched in the corner, trying to be a ghost.

It didn't work very well, except when the CEO was yelling, obviously, because he received a deadly scowl, and then nothing at all as the brunette disappeared through the wide open door which the blonde had accidentally left open.

Damn. That had gone well.

He snapped his head up as the principal spoke to him, the voice still calm and cool. The young duelist noticed something else, in the way he said it, too. The principal sounded unattached, kind of dreamy sounding. What the fuck?

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Mr.Jounouchi. Please, never speak of that again. Now, come into my office and tell me what you're in for."

Nodding, he got up slowly, making his way slowly to the office. A thought past through his mind as he closed the door softly, and he almost shook his head in disbelief. All of that had happened in the span of one period.

Oh, he couldn't wait to see what the rest of the day held for him.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Ah… Uhn… Seto!…"

He gripped the countertop desperately, holding on as much as he could as he was pushed forward and back, his midriff starting to get a red mark from the pressure it was receiving from the countertop.

Another breathless moan found it's way out of his mouth as he was slammed into again, the uncomfortable feeling he had before disappearing as the brunette behind him hit a certain spot inside him, one that made him almost scream. He did see white stars, though.

A grunt from behind him as he pushed back against the young CEO, urging him to continue his thrusts. His hand found his own cock, hard and painfully pressed against the cupboard, and he stroked it with feverish lust, eyes closed tightly shut.

God, this was… Something. He had soon learned that his lover was a bit of a sex maniac, not caring where they had sex, especially when he was in one of his 'moods'. But, hell, if he wasn't good at it.

Another thrust buckled the blonde's knees and he was suddenly grateful for the stable piece of furniture his chest was currently pressed against, and he gave himself another quick stroke. Another moan broke the air; the sweaty pants and whimpers hanging in the kitchen like a permanent smell.

They had been, originally, trying to make Yugi's birthday cake, but had somehow ended up in the position they were in now. Flour and eggs were left forgotten, invisible to both of their eyes as they both kept a steady pace, moans slowly growing higher and needier as they both came closer to their climax.

"Ah… Seto!"

The white liquid that signaled his release shot out, making a mess of the cupboard. He heard a small noise, Seto's 'pleasure noise', as the brunette came inside of him.

He panted and smiled as the teen pulled out of him, turning around and wrapping his arms around the brunette's neck, placing a quick kiss on the chaste lips. The taller teen smirked and kissed him more forcefully, and they kissed lazily for awhile, until they both ran out of breath. Another shared, secret smile, and then Jou spoke, voice slightly dreamy.

"That's a good way to make a cake."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

… And why did they have in school suspensions where you could fall asleep?

Stupid dreams. Stupid in-school suspension for being late and skipping Mr.Retards meeting. Stupid everything. And now he had a stupid hard on. God damn it!

He sighed as he rested his head on his arms, heated face being scratched by the slightly rough material. How was he going to get rid of the stupid tent in his pants if the teacher was right there? And what about the rest of the students? They'd go psycho if they ever knew Jou had an 'explicit content' dream. Stupid punks with some smart words. He unconsciously squeezed his legs together. Stupid hard on.

A sigh escaped his lips as he thought of the only solution to get his way out of the dilemma. It wasn't very good, but it was only thing he had.

'_Think unsexy thoughts'_

The blonde almost laughed out loud at the stupid sentence. Was 'unsexy' even a word? And who came up with this thing? He snorted. Well, right now, it was the only thing he could do.

Five minutes of thinking about Mr.Rivedo in a thong did nothing to calm him down. And hell if that wasn't disturbing. He cringed as another, very 'unsexy' picture came up in his mind. But that did nothing either. He almost moaned out loud, in disgust instead of anything else.

This was going to be a very, very long day.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Finally! Fifth chapter done! Sorry for keeping you guys waiting! But, yeah. I'm going to be busy for the next week, so please don't expect an update soon!

I'm going to be job hunting! Because the stupid lady that hired me kept on telling me to come at 6:00 am, and then she sent me back home to come back at 3:00 PM, three times in a row -.-. So yeah. I was pissed and quit.

Anyway, hope you had fun reading this, even though it isn't up to my usual standard! Later!


	6. Television

GOD! My updates SO Suck ass XD;;. I think I should have told you guys that I was on vacation. But I... Meh. Too much excuses! I'll try keeping everything short!

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

**WARNING:** You should know by now, if you read this far into the story, that there is love between to males. If you're stupid, and don't like this kind of stuff, keep reading.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O - Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one is the dream!

**REVIEW REMARKS:**

**Affnet:**

Kat: Lmao XD. I thought I'd try something new . And, believe or not, that teacher is based on my teacher… It's so gross being around him, he STARES at you ;;. XD! Lmao! That's the good way too XP. And thanks! Here's the update XD;;;.

Charger: LMAO! I never even noticed that! XD! Thanks fer reading XD!

Silvershadowfire: I have to torture my little pretty boi XD. Bad days are like… normal for him until he gets fu… 'made love too' by Seto XD; (God, I'm a nerd X3). And maybe he is? You'll have to find out XP. And Thanks!

DuosAngel: Thank you . That was a nice compliment! I hope this story is up to your standards! And thanks for reading!

Nite Nite: Thanks XD. And that girl WAS lucky, wasn't she? And funny dialogue XD. Here's an update .

Cinder: Thank you for pointing out my mistake! I'll change it after I post this . And, yeah, I'll get a beta, if it'll help XD. Thanks for reading!

Renee: XD I torture Jou in EVERY way possible XD! And they will, soon . Thankies!

**Ffnet:**

Monstardust: Thank you, and here's the update!

Seto'swhiterose: Aaah, you really are making me blush with all your long reviews and compliments! And, for that one question, it's because of this: It is only because Jou is so hot XP. Thank you for reviewing and making me feel better! Here's the awaited update! (And your welcome, I guess!)

KatrinaKaiba: I never see Kaiba angry in fics, so I decided, what the hell! Thanks, and here's the update!

otaku12: All is good XD. And thanks! Here's the update!

reality's dream: Thanks, but you should see the REAL guy (he's based off of a real live person). The guy's gross. But thanks! Here's the update!

ttSerenity: Reviewers like you are the people that motivate us pay-low-and-lazy-procrastinator-authors XD. Big thank you, and here's the update I should have given you sooner!

Yume no Zencho: Kaiba should save him, but, alas, that is not what is in my mind at the moment XD. Thanks for the review! Here's your update!

I.A.T.C.O.: I can't believe that my story is being passed around! Thank your friend for me also, and thank you for your comment! Thanks, and here's the update!

kura: I wanted too, so here it is XP. Thanks, and here's the update!

And, now, ON WITH THE MOFO CHAPTER! (Sorry! XD!)

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 6**

_Some men see things as they are and say why... I dream of things that never were and say why not.  
-George Bernard Shaw, Back to Methuselah_

"A 45-year-old male has been arrested on sexual battery charges for allegedly molesting two women and exposing himself to another while out at 1:00 am on October 23rd, at the bar nearest to his home.

The male, Okada (1) Jounouchi, faces one misdemeanor count of battery and one misdemeanor count of sexual battery, said Deputy District Attorney Kitoshi L. Ichigo, of the Justice System Integrity Division."

This definitely turned Jou's head as soon as he heard it on the television when he arrived home at 7:30 pm, eyes widening as he recognized the hardly-spoken name. What the fuck! That was his dad! That woman said he only had molested one woman!

"Jounouchi, a Domino resident who is unemployed, pleads not guilty before his court sentence. He will be released on a charge of $95,000 bail if found guilty.

While walking home one night, the woman, who wishes to remain unknown, was suddenly confronted by the drunk man. He exposed himself and made derogatory comments, she recounted when asked, and then ripped the top of her shirt and put his hand down her bra to fondle her breast. He then ran, and that was the last she saw of him."

The blonde's mouth gaped open, eyes glued to the television as the pretty reporter continued talking about his father.

"The second confrontation happened not even 15 minutes later, in a back alley. Mea Tenako, age 19, was waiting at the back of a curry shop for her boyfriend's shift to end. Jounouchi snuck up on her and then pressed her against the wall, putting a hand down her pants and squeezing her private. He then ran after that, and was seen later, entering his house."

The police answered the first woman's call and arrested Jounouchi later that day, at 12:30 pm."

So THAT'S when his dad had been arrested. While he was at school, being… Umm… Ok, screw it, he wasn't going to say 'molested by Kaiba'.

… Well, if that didn't screw him up.

The blonde ignored his thoughts once again and turned towards the lady, who had hardly paused in talking (and degrading) his dad.

"Tenako, who says she was too embarrassed to face the police or her boyfriend, came up later that day and announced that she, too, had been sexually molested by Jounouchi, who is divorced and housing one child, age 17, who will remain unnamed."

What the FUCK? They mentioned him! Well, not really, but still! People weren't not stupid enough to not make the connections!

"The trial will be held on the 15th of November, 2004, at 11:00 am.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in the state prison.

Back to you, Shin."

The blonde stared at the television as the news went on to sports, a handsome man replacing the pretty woman that had reported on his father.

… This was NOT happening.

He had to pay $95,000 to bail his drunk of a father!

… This was NOT happening.

He collapsed onto the ratty couch, face frozen in shock as thoughts raced through his head. $95,000? $95,000! Where was he going to get that money? He thought that that woman had said only $2500? Stupid, fucking, son of a bitch! How was he going to get all that money!

Another thought occurred to him as he used every swear he knew, hands clenched tightly and trying hard not to kick in the television, and then throw it out of the window.

Now EVERYONE was going to know about his predicament.

… Holy mother fucking shit fuck.

Everyone would start pitying him, or looking at him weirdly, or teasing him because his dad was an alcoholic pervert that preyed on young women in the alleys. And worst of all…

Fuck. Seto Kaiba was going to know about it.

Sure, some students didn't watch the news, but would hear it from other students that did watch the news. And, if Kaiba was a one of those people that didn't watch the news, he probably wouldn't hear about it until a few days from now, when someone was speaking a bit too loudly about it. But, of course, stupid moneybags had to watch the news because he was a fucking millionaire-prodigy child that knew EVERYTHING!

Fuck. Fucking asshole.

The blonde continued to swear and curse the young CEO to the high heavens, his rant only stopping when the phone rung loudly in the quiet apartment.

That would probably be Yugi, sympathizing his situation.

A hand reached towards the phone instinctively and he curled his fingers around the receiver, picking it up. Immediately, the worried voice of his best friend filled the earpiece, and he had to hold it away from his ear for a second before cautiously bringing it back to his head.

"Oh, Jou, I just saw the news! Are you alright!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine Yugi… Everything will be ok."

"But, how will you pay for the money? It's not like…"

"Ya don't have to say it, Yug'. I know I'm poor. And I don't know, to tell ya the truth…"

"Oh, Jou, you know you can stay here until this all tides over, hey?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know, Yug'. Can I come over tonight? Because… Well, yeah. I don't want to be caught off guard by those foster people…"

"Yeah, of course! Hurry up and come over here, ok? I'll cook you something to eat."

"Ok, Thanks. And tell your Grandpa I'll start working at the shop to pay anything I use, if I stay there for more then two nights, OK?"

"No, Jou! You need to start working to get money, or something. But I won't let you work here to 'pay your housing'!"

"I'll feel bad…"

"Nah uh! You're staying here with out paying, and that's final!"

"Ok, Ok! You're a persuasive little guy, aren't you?"

"I'm not little. Now get your butt over here now!"

"OK, OK! Bye, Yug'. I'll be over there shortly."

"You better be! Later!"

Jou laughed as he put the phone down, feeling slightly better then he did after coming home to find the news talking about his two-man family. His mum would know about this soon, of course, and Shizuka would be worried sick. His mum probably wouldn't give a shit (he had the amusing thought right then that she would probably laugh, and he figured it wasn't far from the truth). But, oh well. At least he had Yug' and Shizuka, along with the rest of his friends.

Another burst of laughter came out of him as he was reminded of how worried and in control Yugi sounded like. For such a small and timid guy, Yugi was one of the only people he knew that could take control of a situation and turn the probably hopeless ending into a fantastic one. The spiky-haired teen had proved that enough from the first time Jou had become his friend.

The blonde, trying to keep good on his promise, started getting as much of his clothes and 'important and necessary' things packed into his one bag for his little trip to Yugi's home. Luckily (or unluckily, whatever), he didn't have much stuff he wanted to bring, and he found himself looking over his 'home' quickly before leaving, picking up a few things here and there.

He probably wouldn't see this place for a loooooong time if he didn't come here before he collected the money.

A shrug and the brown-eyed teen grabbed his keys and a jacket, closing the door and locking away the place he had been for more then half his life. At least he would live in a place where screams didn't wake him up every night, even if it was only for a little while.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

The blonde listened to his own footsteps as he walked down the alleys, tan face towards the sky as he walked hurriedly through them. He had decided to take a detour, instead of taking the direct route to Yugi's home, because he needed time to think.

Yeah. Think.

Thinking was worrying for him at the moment. Worrying about how he would get the money, how long he would stay at Yugi's, how his dad was doing, and what people would think. Because, face it, even if he didn't show it, instead acting the opposite way, he cared what people thought of him. Everyone did, even if they didn't show it.

A sigh escaped his lips as a small tune entered his mind, and he sang the words quietly once he placed the lyrics to the song.

_"Cause behind its door there's nothing to keep my fingers warm,  
And all I find are souvenirs from better times,  
Before the gleam of your taillights fading east,  
To find yourself a better life…"_

He continued the rest of the song softly until the very end, the lone sound collecting with his footsteps as he entered the main street. A car passed him and slowed down, then continued it's descent away from the sun.

This song was perfect for him, he decided. Except he didn't have a lover, or a lover that left him. Unless you counted Mia, but they were never real lovers. Not even boyfriend and girlfriend. Just… Real good friends that liked each other, just not admitting it.

Another sigh as he brought his head down to his chest and walked the rest of the way to Yugi's house, backpack over his shoulder and lightly thumping on his back with each step.

When he arrived, a sleek motorcycle was in front of the Turtle Game shop. He paid no mind to it as he walked into the shop, the thought of it being Honda's occurring in his mind. It probably was, because Honda probably called his house, didn't find him there, then called Yugi's, and was waiting for him inside.

That notion was cast aside as the bell tinkled and he lifted his head, blonde hair wind swept and brown eyes wide as he took in the dark blue trench coat and equally dark blue eyes. He could picture a sneer coming over the teen's face after looking at him, and expected it to happen at any moment. But it didn't.

Kaiba and Jou stared at each other as tension rose in the air, both faces expressionless until Yugi spoke.

"Oh, Jou! You're here! I told you to be here earlier! It's already 10:00 pm!" The violet eyed boy glared pitifully at him as he went around the corner to come and stand in front of Jou, the blonde and brunette breaking their gazes to stare at the smaller boy.

"Oh, yeah… Sorry Yug. Got caught up in the alleys."

"You were mugged!"

"No, no! I was just taking the longer way."

"Ok, Jou. Go upstairs and put your stuff away. Kaiba and I were just going over some card shipments and stuff. You'll tell me all about it when I come back up after closing the shop, right?"

"…Uh, yeah. 'Course, Yug'." He avoided Yugi's and Kaiba's eyes. It was kind of hard to resist Yugi's 'puppy dog eyes', and Kaiba's calculating stare.

He trotted his way past Yugi, heading towards Kaiba with his head down. He really didn't want to face Kaiba right now. Not after today, where everything seemed to be embarrassing him. And the brunette was usually the first one to cast remarks that he could do with out.

He stood in front of Kaiba when he got there, who was standing between him and the door to Yugi's house. A polite but mumbled 'Excuse me…', and the young CEO moved, arms brushing slightly as they passed each other. That was a surprise. No comments made about him coming over, looking like something the cat dragged in.

As he went up the stairs, though, he could feel the questioning gaze settled on his back, and it made him shiver.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Breathes mingled as they kissed heatedly, arms wrapped around each other as they stood in the rain, in an unnamed alleyway. They were soaked through, because they had decided to walk home in the dreary weather that day. Rain had come down on them almost instantly after Seto had told the driver to go home, and they had stood close to each other to keep warm.

The reason for this walk was because Jou had wanted to talk to Seto about everything that had been worrying him, mostly to talk about his father and the alcohol poison he had recently been hospitalized for.

A moan escaped the blonde's mouth as the brunette kissed his neck, teeth nipping slightly at cold skin. Hands were roaming under jackets and tugging at hair, the umbrella long forgotten near them along with their backpacks and briefcases.

They pushed closer together as the taller teen pressed his mouth against Jou's, tongue invading the brown-eyed boy's mouth quickly after the contact. A moan from both of them, because the rain was cold against their bodies and they were both getting hot.

The kiss was broken and they stared at each other, breath short and gasping.

The silence was shredded when the blonde's face broke into worry lines and tears, clinging (if possible) even tighter to the young CEO as he began to cry without chagrin.

"Se-Set-Seto.. It's a-all wrong! My dad's in the hospital, I haven't heard from my sister in we-weeks, I'm fa-failing my gr-grade, and ever-everyone seems to hate me!" He spoke through his stuttering and the broken rainfall, the falling liquid mixing with his tears as he pressed the side of his face closely to the brunette's chest.

"Shh, Jou. It's alright." The teen holding him spoke soothingly, hands rubbing small circles in his back as he sobbed.

"No! No, i-it isn't! It's a-all wrong!"

"Shhh… No… It isn't. I'm giving your father the best treatment I can, I'm sure your sister has a good reason for not contacting you, I'll help you with your grades, and I swear, if they hurt you more, I'll hurt them worse. There's a reasonable solution for everything, ok?" The brunette pushed him away slightly and tried brushing away the tears at the blonde's eyes, only succeeding to brush away a few drops away before more rain and tears replaced those.

"… Don't hurt th-them, Seto. But… I'm s-so worried! I'm sca-scared for everyo-one!" The teen looked hopelessly up at the other as he clenched his fists in the cloth of the CEO's jacket

"Alright, puppy. But don't cry… It hurts to see you cry. And I'll protect you from everything, OK?" Blue eyes smiled at him as the teen leaned down to kiss his forehead, the sweet gesture not lost on the blonde as he smiled weakly.

"Al-alright, Seto. I'll… try not to worry…"

"Good, puppy. Now lets get home and dry you off, ok?"

"OK… Carry me home?" A grin broke out on the wet face of the 'puppy', lips rising slightly from the recent frown to pout slightly.

The young CEO sighed, turning around with a smile tugging at his usually tight lips. "You're going to be the death of me, puppy."

"You love me though, right?" The blonde jumped onto the crouching teen's back enthusiastically, happy demeanor returning.

"Yes, now let's go. We're both going to catch a cold."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Brown eyes opened tiredly as the dream finished, body eagle-spread across the floor as he came slowly to his senses. He glanced over at the clock and blinked at the time to adjust his eyes to the darkness that surrounded Yugi's room. When he finally got a hold of the time, he moaned softly to himself. 4:56 am? He wouldn't get to sleep _now_.

Quietly taking his bag and sneaking out of the room, a quick smile took over his face as he spotted his spiky-haired friend, curled around the puzzle. Cute. Jou suddenly wished he had a camera.

But he didn't, and he had homework to finish. He made sure he had everything before heading down the stairs, making sure his socks made no more then a light 'thump' sound.

He set himself at the counter of the game shop, spreading his homework across the wood as he turned on the light above him, making sure it was dim enough so that he could see the words, but not wake up anyone.

A quiet scratch of pen soon filled the silence along with his breathing, the thought of the dream crossing his mind as he stared at a difficult math problem. What had that been about, anyway? Why had he been crying his eyes out in front of _him_, of all people? Stupid dreams.

He decided, after writing down the answer to the question, that those dreams meant nothing. His sister would never not contact him, his dad wouldn't be in the hospital, and he would never cry in front of Seto Kaiba.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

That's the end of the chapter! This gave me a… sad sort of feeling ;. I think this chapter was a bit of a filler, too, because I usually type up the day of school instead of what I did here. Except with fat man, too

The song lyrics are from this song called "Title And Registration", by "Death Cab For Cutie". I recommend it .

1) I named Jounouchi's father "Okada", because I don't know his real name ;.

2) Katsuya's name wasn't mentioned on TV because if you are under 18, your name isn't allowed on TV (as someone recently informed me!)

Now, review if you think it isn't up to par!


	7. Antisocial

Yes, again, I was on vacation. And I still am going to be, as of two days. So I will try and finish this and keep it short!

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

**WARNING:** You should know by now, if you read this far into the story, that there is love between to males. If you're stupid, and don't like this kind of stuff, keep reading.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O - Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one is the dream!

**REVIEW REMARKS:**

**Affnet:**

Kat: Yer lucky, to be out of school -suffering from homework overload-. Lmao XD Thanks ;. And lmao XD. Yugi IS a cute mother hen! I like it when people play him like that, even though it IS a bit (lot?) OOC…And thanks for liking the scene! Anyways, sorry for taking so long!

Yashagurl: Sorry for taking so long, and here's more!

BrokenDesire: Yer right, I didn't update XD;;. I'm sorry! Here's the update!

Anon: That is all XD;. And thank you! Sorry, and here's the update!

**Ffnet:**

Ladycrymsyn: Thank you, and here's the update X).

Seto'swhiterose: I can't help but be embarrassed and happy, so mwah X). Anyway, yes! Thank you for the review, and you will have to find out all about the dreams and why he dreams them later, won't you? XP Sorry, but I just can't say why yet! And thank you again, and here's the update!

Yuen-chan: OH! Thank you for showing me what I did wrong… I can't believe I did a stupid mistake like that. Thank you for the review . And on another, crueler note, I have to ask you to please not ask me to update other stories while reviewing another one . No meaning to be rude, it's just a pet peeve for me. Anyway, thank you!

leighc for shy: Thank you very much for all the encouragement . And thank you again for the review XD. Here's the update (which seems to be 'everyday' XP)

Dark Magician of Chaos: I never knew that O.o. But, yeah XD. Thanks for telling me and for the review, and here's an update!

Hiichan: Thank you for the comment . I was hoping it wouldn't be all 'cliched' and all XD;. And I'm glad you did . Thanks for the review, and here's the update!

Sakurascorpion19: Thank you, thank you, and here's the updated ASAP! (or not quite ASAP, but, ya know…)

Zombiedarkelf18: Well, maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised when the end does come in sight XP. Here's the update, and thank you for the review and comment!

moonstardust: You'll see the action in chapter 10, for a spoiler XP. So thank you for the comment, and here's the update!

Rosepedal: Yay for it, yes! Thank you for the comment, and here's the update!

Artemis347: Thank you for the review, and here's the update!

Marie: Oh, really? I never knew it was illegal to say their name… Oh well! Let there be loopholes! Anyway, thank you for the comment and review and encouragement, and here's the update!

Rae-chan: Lmao XD. But, yes! He is poor, but it's all for the sake of the plot and smut, no? Anyway, thank you for the review and here's the update!

The 13th Jinx: Glad I helped with the boredom X). Thank you for the review, and here's the update!

And, finally, thedamned chapter!  
**  
When All Else Fails, chapter 7**

_I've been alone with you inside my mind  
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times  
I sometimes see you pass outside my door  
Hello, is it me you're looking for?  
-Hello by Lionel Richie_

Brown eyes, slightly lidded due to the lack of sleep he had managed to grab, looked up as quiet footsteps padded down the stairs. He sat up straighter, putting down his pen and casting a quick glance at the paper in front of him. He'd do the last math question later. Right now, he had to deal with Yug'.

Instead though, when he looked up, he met the wise eyes of Yugi's grandfather, Sugoroku Mouto. The man had no smile on his face, no friendly expression, just an enigmatic frown. It gave Jou a slight shiver as he stared back at the old man. What was his problem? Was he mad at Jou for staying the night? This wasn't like him…

"Jounouchi, can I talk to you for a minute, before Yugi wakes up?"

The voice broke through his confused thoughts and he realized that the old man sounded worried, not angry or annoyed. Then he berated himself for his stupid thought about the purple-eyed man being angry at him. Of course not! He was just worried about him and his situation!

He suddenly wished that the old man was angry at him.

He shrugged though, and turned all the way around, sending the elder Mouto a timid smile. "Sure, what do ya wanna say?"

The other male moved into a more comfortable position in front of the blonde, eyes softening as his mouth opened to speak. "Jou, I know of your… situation right now."

Jou nodded for him to continue, the smile now turning into a small, thin line. Sugoroku continued with out hesitation.

"And I know how much you have to pay, so I was just wondering if you would work for me on weekends and after school? I just want to help out in some way, and I know you wouldn't except any money from me." The aging man let out a nervous laugh, and so did Jou, The atmosphere was slightly tense.

After the fake laughter died, which was rather quickly, Jou took his turn to speak, voice warm. "Yeah, ok, that would really help me out. And you're right, I wouldn't accept donations. But, is it ok if I work today and Monday too? I can miss a day of school, and I just want… This… to tide over at school until I go." Now he gave the man a nervous smile, hand reaching over to grasp the pen and tap it against his left hand.

This time, Sugoroku's face darkened, but lightened into a thoughtful look. "Jou, I want to tell you something, ok?" He nodded again. "When I was young, my father was… Caught… Molesting one of my male classmates."

He stressed the word 'male' a lot, and Jou had an amusing picture of what Sugoroku's face would look like if he ever told the man he was bi, which was unlikely. But the sympathetic voice broke through the picture again, and he focused on the man telling the story.

"He was sent to jail and my mother was absolutely devastated. I was also, since I was 12 years old and I could understand that what my father did was a very, very awful thing. But, despite my mother and me being devastated, I was sent to school the very next day. Everyone stared at me weirdly and with a deep anger, as if I was the one who did that to my classmate. But I had to endure that day, and it was terrible, and I lost a few friends, but over the next few weeks, it became better and it was all forgotten. I even got beat up once." He chuckled at this, but Jou had no clue why. Getting beat up was not funny. "But those students were caught in the act and charged. Do you know what I'm saying, Jou?"

He paused in nodding his head, and shook it instead, deciding to be truthful. "Uh, sorry, but not really…" He grinned and rubbed the back of his head, pen loosely between his fingers, and keeping a hand on the front of the stool he was sitting on so he had some balance.

The old man chuckled and walked closer to him, grabbing his right shoulder in a firm grip. His voice became suddenly soft and caring. "I'm saying you have to be strong through-out this, ok, Jounouchi? Even though people might try and tease you, hold your head up high, because words won't hurt you. And you're a strong boy, I know. So just be brave, Ok?"

This time he nodded slowly, and he noticed he seemed to be doing a lot of agreeing. "Ok, Mr. Mouto. I'll be brave and go to that horrid jail called school." He meant the nickname to be true, but the older gentleman, who was still holding his shoulder, laughed as if it was a joke.

"Ok, my boy." They both heard the door open and the gray-haired man smiled, patting his shoulder a bit hard before taking his hand back. "I'm glad we had this talk. Now, are you up for pancakes?"

The blonde produced a genuine smile, the first since school had ended yesterday, and climbed off of the stool. "Alright! Pancakes!"

Sugoroku laughed loudly, more joyfully then the laughter of five minutes ago, and turned his back to the chocolate-eyed boy, now facing his small grandson and smiling. Yugi was currently rubbing the sleep away from his left eye like a child. "I'll start cooking and you guys get ready then."

Now both of them nodded, Jou more enthusiastically then his best friend. Both of them went upstairs as the older man went towards the kitchen, and when Yugi was awake enough, he looked over at the blonde, who was currently taking his Pajama shirt off.

"Jou, what were you talking about with Grandpa?" The short boy put his puzzle on the counter and pulled his pajama shirt over his head. Purple eyes looking quizzically at him after the clothing was removed from his body.

He paused before speaking, deciding not to tell Yugi what had happened to his Grandpa. Did Yugi even know about that? He hoped not. He didn't want him to know about what his great-grandpa was like. "Oh, he was just offering me a job, because I need the money to bail out my dad."

Jou felt like there was a piece of hot coal in his stomach as he said this, but his voice remained casual, not quivering once. That was a miracle. He felt hopeless and a bit lost every time he thought about it or said it aloud.

The spiky-haired teen nodded, now pulling on his pants for school. The puzzle now dangled off the boy's neck again, shining faintly in the weak light the window provided. It was still a bit dark out. "Oh, ok. I'm going to treat you to lunch today, ok? Because I didn't come up quickly last night. Kaiba was keeping me occupied with a lot of questions about what kind of cards would be coming in."

A bucket of ice was thrown on him when his friend mentioned the CEO, contrasting against the hot coal that still seemed to be in his stomach, but he ignored the name, instead waving a hand around as he shoved his hand in his pocket. "No, no, Yugi! You don't have too! I still got a few cents in my pocket!" The blonde continued to dig around in his pocket, and then came up with only 50 cents a second later, a sheepish smile painting over his face when he saw the little money he had.

"Uh… It's enough. And that's ok. I was asleep in a few minutes anyways! I was dead tired." A grinned as he ran a ratty brush from the contents on the floor, from when he had dumped all of his stuff from his bag so he could get to his homework.

"No! I'm going to buy you something, and that's final! You have to save your money up now!" Now there was a stubborn look on the multi-colored haired boy's face as he brushed his own hair, the usually spiky hair drooping from the weight it had endured from when Yugi had slept on it.

"Ok, ok!" He really did want lunch today. He had nothing last night. Thank God for pancakes and cheap lunches. "I'll let you buy. But as soon as I get some money I can spend, I'm buying you lunch!"

The violet-eyed boy smiled as he began to put up his hair. "We'll see."

"You're stubborn."

"It's one of my better attributes when it comes to some things. Would you rather me pull out the puppy-dog eyes out on you?"

"… No."

"Good. Now Let's go downstairs. Oh, and Jou?" The shorter of the two was now bending down to get his bag, which was under his desk.

"Yeah?"

"What time were you up today?"

Jou cast a glance at the bedside clock, and was surprised to find that it was only 6:34 am. The time he had spent doing his homework only seemed like 15 minutes. He contemplated what to say to Yugi, because he would freak if he told him that he was up at 5. A smile on his face as he came up with a small white lie, and he answered the question simply.

"Only 15 minutes before you."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.

"HEY! JOU! JOU!"

The yell overrode the noise of the classroom as the low voice attacked his ears, and he looked up as soon as the greeting was yelled out. Who was so eager to see him? Why, of course, Honda! He thought this a bit sarcastically, because everyone who had wanted to talk to him this morning only wanted to talk about the news. And he (while, his father, but whatever) had been on the news. Not for good reasons. Hell no.

The brown-haired teen Jou called his friend arrived at his desk and slammed a hand down onto it, drawing attention from a few people near them. The standing teen realized his stupidity in drawing attention and gave the people an easy smile, and they soon turned back to whatever they had been doing.

That was when Honda turned around and stared at the blonde, a fire blazing in his eyes as he hissed out quietly. "You should have told me about this before it went on the news, you idiot! Then you could have come and slept over at my house and stayed there! You know my parents don't mind you."

The blonde gave a embarrassed grin, suddenly feeling a little guilty that he hadn't told Honda, the guy that had been by his side since God knew when. But he only felt a little guilty. A little! "Ah, dun worry, Honda. I'm fine. I'm staying at Yugi's, and grandpa gave me a job so I can work off my pop's debt.. So I'll be fine, ok? I'll still come over to yer house on weekends, if it will make you feel better."

The brown-eyed teen still wasn't satisfied, it seemed, because his frown and glare became even more deadly. God, when did Honda become a girl on PMS? "That's not the point! Jou, I don't even think you should pay off your father's debt. He's done this before, remember? Just before your mum left y-… him!"

Jou could feel his blood freeze at the mention of that event, eyes darkening as the images of those few days flooded his mind. It was when he was just old enough to understand what was happening, and he could hear his mum crying for the few nights dad had been in jail. So as soon as dad had came home from his mum spending their holiday savings (They were going to go to Hawaii. They had been saving up for so many years), she had left. With Shizuka. And that was a painful day. He didn't need Honda bringing that up at school.

The brunette seemed to realize his mistake as his blonde friend tensed and his eyes darkened, because his face became slightly surprised and worrisome. "Uh, Jou! Sorry! I forgot, I'm not supposed to say that. That was the wrong thing to say! Sorry, Jou, I was ju-"

The brown-eyed boy cut him off by putting his head on his left hand and casting his eyes downwards to his stuttering friend's feet. "You're right, Honda. That was the wrong thing to say. Now go to your seat. I don't feel like talking."

He resisted the urge to leave, like Grandpa Mouto had said. Be strong, he had said. So that's what Jou would do. Stay here and deal with everyone who asked about all the shit he didn't want to talk about.

"Uh, but Jou, I sa-"

"I said go sit down, Honda." His voice went harder with each syllable, and the teen in front of him finally got the message to go sit down. He moved out of Jou's view of the door and went behind him, which was his seat. Jou abruptly cursed the fact that there was no seating plan in History class. That was Mr.Yuriko's way of being 'nice'.

Throughout the entire class, he could feel a worried stare boring into his back. He didn't pay any mind to it though, and instead (for once in his life), took notes instead of relaxing and going to get the notes from Honda later. Who could relax in his 'situation'? His father was going to jail, he was currently angry at one of his best friends, the other best friend was trying not to push to hard, and another friend was supposedly sick. He guessed this, because Anzu hadn't walked to school with them.

The worst part of the whole day was that Kaiba had been in the seat across from him the entire time Honda had been talking to him. Even when Honda had blurted out the part of why his mum had left his dad. While, one of the reasons, anyways.

No, Jou thought without emotion. The worst part was that he had a whole day to go through this torture.

While, he had to thank someone that it was Friday.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.

"C'mon, Seto, you lazy ass! I want to go in the pool! It's not everyday I go to your house, solely on the excuse to swim!" At this, Jou laughed, not even blushing at the fact that most of the times Jou had come over to his boyfriend's house, it was to solely fuck like bunnies. Or study. But they ended up fucking like bunnies, anyways. The blonde had to wonder when the both of them had become so sex-crazed.

While, it got better every time, anyway.

The addressed person glared at him lightly, pulling his shirt over his head to show off a pale stomach with a faint six-pack. At this, he had to peak a quick glance and drool. While, who wouldn't? A half naked Sex God that was all yours, in a pair of swim shorts? Rawr. (And never mind the fact that he had seen it a hundred times before).

At the thought of getting fucked by Kaiba in a pool, he shook his head firmly. No! This day was too solely swim! SWIM! In WATER! He practically screamed at himself (in his own head, of course), to get that through his own thick skull.

When he turned around again, Kaiba was standing there in all of his glory, only in a pair of light blue swim shorts that contrasted poorly with his skin. He furrowed his brow at this, a discontent look coming over his face as he stared. Geez, Kaiba had no fashion sense. And the guy could be a model, for God's sake! If he wasn't running a corporation already, but…. Yeah….

He went off and grabbed the edge of his blue-eyed lover's shorts, giving a small tug and earning himself a raised brow at his actions. "Puppy, what are you doing? I thought you said this day was 'solely to swim'."

Oh, he could just feel the smirk radiating off of that remark, and he raised his hand to whap his boyfriend lightly. This earned him another slightly amused, slightly confused look. He gave a cheeky smile at him, and another tug on his shorts. "It is, Kaiba-chan." He did this only to annoy the hell of his boyfriend, and it seemed to work because the other teen gave him a venomous glare. "I'm just wondering, for someone who has such a hot body, why you have no fashion sense."

Hey, he could be blunt about the body that had… did 'the bad thing' to him a hundred or so times.

He laughed as a small blush overcame the brunette's face. Ah, Seto was so easily embarrassed when it came to sex or either one of their bodies.

His thoughts were cut off as a surprised gurgle-yelp cross erupted from his mouth, a muscled arm coming around his middle (He was in shorts an hour ago). Not even a second later did he find himself hitting the surface of the pool that wasn't even a foot away. Water filled his mouth instantly after he went under and he found it a bit harder to breathe. God damn it, Kaiba was an asshole! He was a fucking asshole who deserved to be hit over the head with a bat! No! Even better! A SPIKED bat!

His arms thrashed around wildly as he tried to swim towards the top of the deep pool, and he closed his brown eyes as he tried to calm down. Yeah, calm down. If he didn't calm down, he'd lose too much energy and he'd drown because stupid, idiot Kaiba threw him in the pool. The dumb ass. Who ever said he was a genius was wrong.

When he calmed down enough, something slipped around him and he could feel someone pressing their mouth to his, and he knew instantly it was his deranged lover. He had the urge to smack him hard, or even kick him where no man should be kicked, but those thoughts were wiped clean as a tongue licked his lower lip and he opened his mouth immediately to give entrance.

They shared a heated kiss under water, Kaiba providing little air for Jou, but enough so that he didn't have to think about breathing. Arms were wrapped tightly around him, and he found enough strength to raise his own and place them loosely on his boyfriend's shoulders as they continued to kiss. A sudden thought came into Jou's mind, and he almost pushed the teen away.

What happened to 'no sex, just swimming'?

… Ah, screw it. Kissing Kaiba felt too good.

He could feel himself growing hard against his will, and he moaned lightly. That was what broke the kiss, of course, because they were both running out of air. And a little of the pool's water was already in their mouths.

Both of them took the other's hand and the brunette led the blonde to the surface of the pool, which seemed like it wasn't very far now that he had got 'some' source of oxygen.

He followed along, and soon found himself breathing wonderful, wonderful air a few seconds later. God that felt wonderful. Wonderful, wonderful air!

As soon as both of them caught their breath, Kaiba dragged him over to the side of the pool and continued to kiss the daylights out of him, and all he could do was moan. Well, this felt even better then breathing air. Seriously.

A little mischievous thought entered his mind between all of the haze Kaiba kissing him was creating, and he raised a hand to knead Kaiba's half-hard erection through his shorts. Hey, maybe they could try sex in the pool! That was a new one. Sure, sex in the shower, but he hardly heard of doing it in the pool.

A moan (not from him, this time) interrupted his thought as he continued to press against that one spot, and the blonde gave a sigh as his lover pressed harder into his hand. God, now he wished Kaiba would just fuck him senseless already!

The mouth on his separated from him and began to kiss and bite his neck lovingly, and he whined loudly. "Uh, Seto… C'mon, just fuck me al-" He gave a gasp at a particularly hard bite. "-ready!"

He heard a chuckle and he was suddenly faced with smothering blue eyes. "You're impatient, puppy. But alright."

He could feel hands pushing down his yellow shorts, passed his slim hips, and the fingers teasingly brushed his cock before disappearing a second later. He was going to curse the brunette before another gasp found it's way to his throat as something touched his own cock. He had to revel in the fact that Kaiba was just as big as him, miracle upon miracles.

A faint kiss on his lips as hurried breathes replaced the moans, and Jou could feel his legs being parted and wrapped around his lover's pale hips. He placed his hands on his shoulders and pressed against him, a silent way of saying hurry up. A husky voice attacked his senses and he gave another low, wanton moan. "Do you want me to prepare you, Jou-pup?"

He would never be able to figure out how Kaiba could keep his voice that even, but he shook his head before he could think about it anymore. Half-lidding his eyes, he stared lustfully at the man holding him. "No, no. Ju… Just hurry up…"

That was all the urging the brunette needed, because he entered Jou's entrance slowly, and the blonde bit his lip to keep from swearing at the pain. Ok, maybe Kaiba being this big wasn't the best thing, but it sure as hell wasn't the worst thing.

He could feel a murmur against his neck, a "c'mon, it'll be ok, just ride through…". A loving kiss on his earlobe and the pain went away gradually, and he thrust against Kaiba to tell him to hurry again.

Kaiba's cock left him briefly before slamming in again, and there was no pain anymore. Just a wanton pleasure that made him whimper in want. And then he was left empty, then filled again, and he had to moan more loudly then before.

"Uh! God, Ka-!" He couldn't finish his sentence anymore because a hand was on his dick and rubbing the tip of it, and this felt amazing, because they didn't have to stop for lube or anything.

"Ah… Jou…" The voice filled his ear, practically pained because of the pleasure, and he let out a loud groan. He was going to come!

"Se…to… I'm coming! Uhn!"

"Me too…."

Both of them let out cries of the other's name as they came into the chlorine-filled water, and Jou let out another whimper as Kaiba pulled himself out. They stayed quiet for a few minutes after that, the brunette holding the blonde up as gasped breathes mingled. A small kiss shared afterwards, and they both smiled at each other.

"Guess that ruins our plans for swimming, huh, Seto?"

"You're the one that started groping me."

"You're the one that kissed me."

"You're the one who made a stupid comment about my fashion sense."

"… You're the one… whose to sexy."

The brunette laughed deeply, pushing away from the brown-eyed boy to tread in the water. "We can still swim, you know."

"… You won't try to screw me senseless again?"

"Yeah."

"I'll race you!"

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Brown-eyes opened warily as the dream finished, the image of him pressed up against the pool's edge by moneybags burning in his mind, and the blonde resisted the urge to curse the fact that, yes, he was hard, and a little more then a bit hot. He had to thank God that no one was here.

The blonde had decided to go up to the roof at lunch and go behind the wall, which was out of sight of the door. So even if someone came, they wouldn't be able to see him and maybe he could slip past or wait for them to notice him. It was rare that he would be anti-social (he left that job to moneybags), but he had to think of another way to get more money for his pop's bail..

He didn't want to ask anyone. He'd rather bury his own grave then ask anyone. And he didn't… while, he did want to miss school, but he didn't want to stay in school any longer then he should. Because… While, people sucked, teachers blowed, everything seemed like a real prison when you went there. While, that was his thoughts, anyway.

He couldn't think of any other option to get money other then the options that _weren't _good options. One, was to sell drugs. Two, was to steal. Three, was to skip school and work (Which was still illegal, even out of school). And four… While, pull a desperate-girl-in-desperate-need-of-money and become a prostitute for a week or so. But he didn't want to give his body out for such a stupid cause! The teen doubted that he would be able to get the $95,000 before the trial, in November. It was already the 28th.

Maybe he should do what Honda said. Just give up on his dad and move into Honda's house for the last year or so of school. His dad would be fine in two years, and when he came out, maybe the blonde might have made something of himself, just to prove the old man wrong…

Jou shook his head firmly, fist tightening to leave tiny, crescent-shape indents in his palm. No, he wouldn't do that. He'd get his dad out, he'd be fine, it would be all good by November 15th. He'd do everything by any means necessary.

Getting up, Jou brushed the seat of his pants off and frowned at his problem, which was soon replaced by a grin. Maybe a good jack-off would help his mood.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.TBC

Hah! I did this chapter in a couple of hours, and one was when I was tired and… Ok. I'm satisfied enough, because I made it so long XD;. Go me and my awesomely-long-tired-chapter! (for once)

**_A little note_**: I didn't research zenny or anything, so I basically just left the money alone. Plus, I don't think most of you know the way money is in Japan? Meh, whatever. At least I researched law and stuff! Though I missed some things -.-;

Expect the next chapter soon, I promise! But, now, I'm going to go and do other things that are desperately needed!


	8. Mistakes

Damn it Damn it DAMN IT I suck at updating, yes, yes I do XD. You can't convince me otherwise!

…Yeah.

Anyway, I'll just shut up and do everything.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

WARNING: This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi hinting. Meaning boyxboy shit. Piss off if ya dun like this kinda stuff

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O- Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one's a dream and which one's real, right?

**REVIEW REMARKS:**

Affnet:

Rachi: Sorry for the long wait XD;. Here's the update from 7!

Renee: Sorry for not updating so soon ;;. But, yeah! Updated now at least, right?

Katsuko: Oh! Thank you very much for telling me so! I probably wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out XD;. Thank you!

Nite Nite: Glad you like the story XD I love your little scenes! Thank you, and here's an update!

Ceacuslupa: Sorry for keeping you waiting s long! And Kaiba has re-entered! Yay XD. And You might not like what I'm going to do ;;. So… Yeah! Thanks!

Leviathan: Thank you, and your comment made me laugh XD! So I will write faster for fear of my kneecaps being ripped out! Thanks again XD!

Kerurie-dono: Thankies . Here's the update!

Anubiset: I will try making them longer for your sake then! -victorious pose- XD! But, yes! Updated, and not as long and good as I liked it to be!

Ranga01: Thank you . Making me blush XD;;. Sorry to keep you waiting! Thanks, here's the update! (And I dunno about that! I'll go check it out!)

FFNet:

Zombiedarkelf18: That's not sounding cold XD That's the voice of common sense! Thanks for the comment, and here's the next update XP

Sakurascorpion19: It does make sense, don't worry XP. Thank you for all the compliments and comment, and here's the update!

Bweiss: Oh, it will be there in a couple of chapters, don't worry XP. Here's the update, and thanks for the comment and lovely compliment .!

Seto'swhiterose: Dude, I'm still getting used to your reviews! But, yes, any spoiler isn't a good thing for fics, I think XP. And the lecherous father of old man Mouto's was actually based off of a personal life experience- Just switch the relation and gender of the kid XD. And I'm glad you liked all of my characters XD;;. And, yet again, no spoilers! So thanks for the LONG review, and here's yer update XP.

Yamihitokiri: Thank you for not thinking I do OOC, and for the compliment pointing out the days-of-the-week thing XD. Thank you again for the comment, and here's an update!

Rosepedal: Thanks for liking the lemon X) (Let's just hope don't get in trouble for them XD). And my supposedly-super-awesome brani comes up with many things XP. So it might be below your standards! XD; Thanks for the comment, and here's your update!

leighc for shy: Thanks for the wish about the vacation, and I'm glad you liked it X). Heres your update, and thanks for the comment!

LadyCrymsyn: No, it's not your imagination XP I try making them longer as the chapters progresse! And, sorry, I specialize in One-chara-POV multi chapters XD. Thanks for the compliment, and here's an update XP

Chibikitsune: I wish I could use that, but all of my quotes always have something abuot dreams in them XD. I'll try to squeeze it into the chapter, though. Somehow XD. And I'm glad both you liked it! Thanks for the comments, here's your update XP!

moony-lupin-2: The worried stare was Honda, because Jou's mad at him XD. Thanls for the comment XP. Here's the update!

NOTE: You all **_might_** have to look forward to the descriptive paragraph changing! And the name of the story, because I realize that "When All Else Fails" No longer fits in with the story! And there will no longer be a poem where the chapter titles are! So….

Yes. I'm done. ON WITH THE STORY!

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 8**

'_I'm lucky, I can open the door and I can walk down the street  
Unlucky, I've got nowhere to go and so I follow my feet_

_A choice is facing you, a healthy dose of pain  
A choice is facing you as you stare through the rain  
A choice is facing you but I choose to refrain for today  
Tomorrow we'll be back in trouble again _

Dream one, you had a whole lot of fun with a comedian  
Stop short of going all the way, you'll have to make it someday

Why is this happening to you, you're not a child?  
Why is this happening? You've too much on your mind  
Things creep up on you when you are fast asleep  
You are dreaming, you are sleepy  
You are stuck to the sheets

In a town so small there's no escaping you  
In a town so small there's no escape from view  
In a town so small there's nothing left to do  
Intellectual and perspiring  
Dirty dream number two

Dream two you couldn't see her face, but you saw everything else  
Dream two was pretty special, easily beats loving yourself

Could you put a name to someone else's sigh?  
Could you put a face to someone else's eyes?  
Is it someone that you'd maybe recognize?  
But it all fades into morning when you open your eyes…'  
-Dirty dream number two by Belle and Sebastian

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Sir? Sir?" Someone touching his shoulder. "Can you get up, please? I want to make a purchase."

Purchase…?

Oh yeah.

Jounouchi sat straight up from leaning his head on his arms and smiled warmly at the petite girl in front of him, who looked as old as 13, maybe 14. He saw a kind smile bloom on her face, and he laughed quietly to himself, taking the toy from her hands as she held it out for him to take.

Looking it over for the barcode, he noticed it was a Red Eyes Black Dragon action figure, kind of small. It was intricately carved to look exactly like the holographic illusion the duel disks all projected. He smiled again at the young girl.

"Sorry, miss. I had a bad night. I was studying' and all, ya know? How're ya today, anyway?" Keep the accent out of your voice as far as you can, Jou, he told himself. He didn't want to give the image of a punk to scare off the customers.

"Oh, I'm good! My brother's birthday is tomorrow, and I'm doing some last minute shopping." A cute kind of laugh came out of her, slightly wispy as she stared at him with large violet eyes while he rang up the purchase. He grinned again as she handed over the money after he told her the price.

"Your bro's a Duel Monster's fan? Cool. So am I. I Actually got this," He held up the small toy before wrapping it in a bag and putting into another, larger bag. "Monster in my deck."

"Really? Cool! He's just so in love with it because his favorite duelist has it and all, you know?"

Favorite duelist? Who else had the Red Eyes Black Dragon in their deck, besides him? Asshole! He'd hunt the guy down! "Favorite duelist? This guy famous or something?"

"Yeah, his name is Jounouchi Katsuya! I saw him once, and he's sooo hot!" She blushed after she realized what she said, clapping one hand over her mouth.

Jounouchi? Katsuya? Him?

He laughed really loudly, and she gave him a quizzical look, snatching her bag quickly as he handed it to her as if he had something wrong with him. He grinned wildly as soon as his giggles subsided, and then he spoke, a teasing tone to his voice. "No, you've seen him twice."

"What? Are you sta-"

The blonde stuck out his hand and gave her one of her most charming grins, pointing at his name tag that clearly stated 'Employee in Training, Katsuya'. "Jounouchi Katsuya, at your service. Nice at meet ya!"

He saw the horrified look cross her face as she unconsciously put her dainty hand in his, and he shook it politely. A second later, he almost grinned even wider as her face broke into an excited expression. "Oh my God! Are you serious? YOU'RE Jounouchi Katsuya? The Jounouchi Katsuya!"

"The one and only!"

"Oh my God! I'm going to tell all of my friends that I met the hottest duelist ever!" She squealed. "Bye, Jounouchi-sama!"

The blonde laughed loudly as he stared after the retreating black ponytail. He had fans, he guessed.

Maybe working here for the next six hours wasn't so bad, after all.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

The next few hours found Jou saying "Have a nice day!" every few minutes, with either a mumbled response, a happy response, or no response at all. The day was going ok, despite him having to get up at 8:00 am to work at 9.

He was told yesterday, after supper, that he would have to start work at 9:00 am, because Gramps was going to try and order some new toys to re-stock his inventory, well Yug' was cleaning the house. He had agreed, because he had no right to argue with these people. They were providing him with a roof over his head and food for his stomach, after all.

Another ring of the bell above the door and the chocolate-eyed boy looked up from his math homework, which was spread on the left side of the small counter. Noticing no one special, just another potential buyer, he went back to his work. This math was due Monday, and it was Saturday. Stupid fucking teachers. This thing was, like, 6 pages long! He wasn't going to get it finished unless he just stayed home (strange how he referred to this as 'home' already) all day.

"This is a surprise. You're actually getting your homework done."

And that was not just Seto Kaiba's voice.

His head shot up, a brief pain in his neck while he glared lightly at the tall teen that stood in front of the counter he had his homework spread out on. A raised eyebrow met his frustrated gaze (it was from the math!), before the brown-eyed boy spoke. "Can I help you?"

Keep calm, he told himself. You're here to work, not to get in a fight with this arrogant bastard.

"Being polite now, pup?"

"Can I help you, Kaiba…-san?" He added the last part reluctantly, inwardly screaming and throwing thoughts around in his head. He didn't have to be that polite! He didn't have to add the '-san'. He didn't have to be this nice!

Then why the hell was he being so nice?

A miffed look emerged from his rival's holier-than-thou attitude before it was replaced by one of indifference. Blue eyes held his for a moment before looking down at the sheets spread out on the small table, and then a voice that didn't even sound anything near cruel. "That answer's wrong."

"Huh?" Ok. What was Kaiba saying? His answer to his insult was wrong? What?

"That answer you just put down. It's wrong. You divided it wrong."

"What? Oh?" He looked down at the math, crinkling his eyebrows as he stared at the answer he had just finished. He didn't even consider how out of character the scene was before he answered. "How?"

"Right there. Here, look."

And then Kaiba was leaning on the desk, flipping the paper slightly so they could both see the scrawl that was Jou's writing. "See? You divided that 56 instead of the -1034. The answer isn't N equal to -1. It's supposed to be 4."

His face brightened up as he realized the mistake, quickly erasing the offending marks on the paper before looking up. "Thanks… Kaiba…"

And when did Kaiba's face get so close? And when did Kaiba help him in math?

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, hardly inches apart. And through out the whole time, Jou was examining the way Kaiba's eyes had small flecks of black in them.

What the fuck!

He snapped back, sitting straight up and voice a slight squeak when he spoke to the brown-haired boy, who was still leaning on the counter. But now, his eyes were looking up and down the sheet quickly. "Uh, so, Kaiba, what can I do you for?"

Do you for? If that didn't sound dirty, in every way, shape and form.. Alert, Jou! You're being a dumbass!

"Is Yugi or his grandfather home?" The voice had returned to the brisk tone he was used too, and the shorter boy wiped his face of all emotion (except, maybe, for a little confusion). Slipping off the stool, he rubbed his hands (which were suddenly sweaty) off on his black jeans before he spoke, mumbling. "Ya, sure. One sec then…"

No answer before he disappeared around the corner and quickly trotted up the stairs, socked feet making no noise. He looked around at the top of the stairs before taking a right turn, heading for Grandpa Mouto's room.

He knocked politely and waited politely for the soft 'come in' before pushing the door open, peeking inside before slipping into the dimly lit room. He shot a small smile at the old man, before speaking. "Uh, Gramps? Kaiba's here to see ya. Dunno why…."

The violet-eyed man nodded, and Jou noticed that, in this dim light, that the older Mouto looked much older then he was supposed to, with wrinkles outlining his eyes and worried creases covering his forehead. "Alright. I'll be down in a second. Just… Go back down and tell him I'll be right there, please, Jounouchi?"

Shit, shit, shit! He didn't want to go back down and stand in that awkward silence! It wasn't as if he was supposed to be getting along with Kaiba, anyway! They were 'sposed to be arguing, and insulting each other! Not helping the other with math or something like that!

Fuck. Well, just because Grandpa Mouto asked him….

"Alright. Take your time, if ya want."

"Thank you, Jounouchi."

He crept out of the room as quietly as he had come in and made his way down the stairs again, contemplating what he should say to Rich boi after he told him what Gramps had said. Wasn't moneybags really impatient? Maybe he'd storm out and Jou wouldn't have to deal with that guy!

The blonde shook his head of all thoughts before looking up, widening his eyes in surprise to notice that he was in the doorway of the actual game shop and that Kaiba was staring at him with that unnerving cobalt gaze of his. The teen looked away and silently swore at himself before muttering. "He'll be done in a minute. Busy for a second…"

Again, no answer, just a nod, and Jou made a move to go to the countertop. He slid onto his seat and sneaked a quick glance at the brown-haired boy, hands clenching the seat tightly as he noticed something.

Kaiba was looking at him. Staring at him. Full frontal, with no shame what so ever. The black specks in his eyes were even more pronounced now that Jou knew they were there.

Before he could stop himself, his head tilted up sharply and he glared at the taller teen, hands clenching even tighter on the wooden seat. "What are you looking at!"

"You." Very blunt and it caught the blonde off guard, who just stared even harder at the obviously deranged CEO.

"Why the hell are you looking at me for? Nothing interesting here." He shot back after a few seconds, realizing a few seconds later that he had just -kind of- insulted himself. Now he was degrading himself to get back at rich boi? Lack of sleep and stress was getting to him.

Really. He needed to go drop dead somewhere for a few hours and come back to a million dollars stuffed into his backpack.

"On the contrary, I think you're more interesting then anything in here at the moment."

Jou's eyes shot open at the assumed confession and soft voice, and he dropped off the chair, accidentally knocking it down in the process. Brown eyes narrowed after the moment of confusion, and he got into his 'defensive stance'. Arms crossed and shoulders slightly hunched forward and very, very tense. You could mistaken him for a pissed-off dog right now, if you wanted.

His voice, when it came out, was growling and livid, practically spitting poison as he spoke. "Look, asshole! I dun know what kinda game yer trying to play, but stop it, cuz I dun need you throwin' sh-"

"Jounouchi!"

He froze at the sound of an older, more mature and calm voice coming from behind him, and his eyes closed for a split second before he relaxed and turned around. Even though his stance was now calm and easygoing, his eyes still held the fire of anger of a few moments ago. "Sorry, Mr.Mouto. It won't happen again."

The older man smiled at Jou's politeness and signaled that he forgave the fair-haired boy by nodding his head . "Glad to hear it. Now, Mr.Kaiba, you wanted to talk to me about something?"

The azure eyes (that were, yet again, on Jou) turned towards the eldest of them and nodded briskly. "Yes. I want to make a deal with you."

The voice was business like again, different from the softer tone Jou had heard before, when Kaiba had… said what he had said.

"Oh? Well, please come upstairs, Mr.Kaiba, so Jounouchi can return to his work and we can have some privacy."

Jou ignored that part and instead, studied the suddenly interesting ground. It was better than looking up at the slightly worried gaze of Mr.Mouto and the unsettling stare of Kaiba.

Again, he muttered an apology before turning around and going back to the counter, picking up the fallen stool and slumping on it. His back faced both of the other men, and Jou could feel a stare on his back until both of them left, their footsteps heard until the sound of a door slamming echoed down into his ears.

And he could bet that the stare didn't belong to Gramps.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Hey… Kaiba?"

"What is it mutt?"

Jou grinned at the usual cold voice that was directed towards him. But they were at school, after all. It was normal for them to fight and bitch at each other like rabid dogs here.

They had decided to keep their relationship a secret to the public, due to the fact that Seto owned a famous company. Of course, Jou had argued that they should go public, complaining that they shouldn't give a shit if they really did love each other, but then Kaiba had come up with a very valid point: Did he really want the media to hound him every hour of the day?

That had immediately shut Jou up.

But, hey, now they were alone. In the locker room after gym. Both half-naked. And one of them was having very mischievous and perverted thoughts.

And it sure as hell wasn't Kaiba.

"Have you noticed that it just went incredibly quiet?" The voice was purely innocent, of course. He wasn't just about to do the nasty with Moneybags. Oh no.

"I should have figured you'd notice, Mutt. You can't shut your yapping mouth for a split second." This voice was suspicious, less cold. Kaiba hadn't already figured out his plan? Of course not!

The blonde laughed to humor the dark-haired boy, and he received an even more wary stare in return. "Of course I can't Kaiba. But I can put my mouth to better uses, you know."

And when he looked back, he saw a very surprised look directed at him. He gave an impish smile in return, his voice teasing as he spoke. "You know you wanna."

The cold and indifferent stare he usually received at school turned into one of paranoia, and the tall CEO looked around in case of anyone listening. He then turned back to Jou, eyebrow's drawn together as he hissed out. "You know we can't, Jou. It's in a public place!"

Oh, so when did Kaiba turn into the shy Virgin? Jou pouted, bottom lip stuck out as he walked over to the other teen and looped his arms around his neck. Immediately after his long fingers touched Kaiba's back, the muscles tensed, and he kneaded them lightly. "But, Seeetttooo. I haven't been able to even to touch you for a whole week. You're so busy at work. And when it's not work, it's homework." The blonde laid his head on his lover's chest, sighing wistfully as his fingers run themselves lightly over Kaiba's back. "I miss you."

A pause, and Jou smirked inwardly. Yes, Kaiba! Give in! No one could resist Jou's ultimate pouting-technique!

… He was spending too much time around Yugi.

He looked up as the brunette spoke, eyes now more soft and less paranoid then before. "I know, Pup. But it's not like I can help it. It's hard though. You know that."

Oh, so it wasn't working, huh? Well, he would see to that.

He lowered his head and blushed, cuddling the dark-eyed boy's chest softly as he spoke in a low whisper. "But… I miss you. Even though I talk to you, I miss making love with you. I miss kissing you and you…" Pause for effect. He was doing good so far! "Being inside me. And I miss moaning your name with you there… Don't you miss me Seto?"

The heart beat beneath his ear quickened after the question, and he closed his eyes to listen to it. Yeah, Seto was going to crack. But he felt kind of bad now. Not only for deceiving Kaiba, but because what he had said was true! He did miss Kaiba.

A hand clasped his chin and forced him to look up, and he was met with smoldering cobalt eyes. They stared at each other for a full minute, one pair of eyes searching while the other pair were pleading and hurt. Then a soft kiss was placed on the blonde's lips, and Jou looked at Kaiba for his answer.

"… I do miss you, Jou. But we can't do that here. Ok?" Seto's voice was very soft now, sad.

Jou reached up and kissed Seto slightly harder then before, and he felt a hand come up to tangle in his hair. They prolonged the kiss, then pulled apart and looked at each other for a long time.

And then the blonde found himself pinned against the wall, Kaiba savagely ravaging his mouth.

Damn.

He kissed back just as forcefully, opening his mouth as he felt the brunette's tongue pressing against his lips. His tongue met Kaiba's, and they started to duel for dominance, Jou only giving in after a rather painful nip. He felt Kaiba press him even more heatedly into the wall after he won, and the honey-eyed boy moaned, pressing back.

Damn. When did Kaiba get so… Forceful?

They kissed like that for a while, teeth even clashing in the bruising kiss as the blonde's legs found their way around the brunette's waist. A gasp before they pulled apart, and Kaiba's mouth attacked his neck, biting and licking his way to the collarbone.

Another lustful moan before his voice spoke, breathless. "What happened to… Oh shit… not doing it here?"

"Are you complaining?" Another particular hard bite and he choked on his breathe, whimpering.

"Uh… No."

"Good."

He felt a hand flit across his nipple, and another whimper escaped him. He should be quiet. But it was kind of hard when the hottest guy ever known was grinding against you!

Another low whine as he grinded against his lover. "Seto… Hurry up."

The few seconds it took to get both of their pants off was agonizing for both Jou and Seto. But they managed, and immediately, Jou felt a pressure at his entrance.

"God… Seto… No Prepping?" The voice was slightly teasing, very breathless, and the young CEO immediately recognized it as a 'hurry up'.

It might hurt with out lube, but…

Jou almost let out a scream as he was slammed into, the sound instead coming out as a low, drawn-out moan from deep within his throat. Another slam into him and this time he had to bite Seto's shoulder to muffle it, which resulted in a gasp from the other boy.

They rocked against each other in accordance, moans and gasps filling the locker room with the smacking sound of skin against skin and skin against tile wall. The sounds were low and almost silent compared to the other times, but they were, after all, in a public place. School.

Another muffled scream by biting as Seto started to continually hit the white spot in him, the muscles on his abdomen starting to tense as the deep heat in his stomach began to become hotter. "Shit… Se…"

"I know. Me too."

And he would never know how Seto could keep his voice so even in the heat of sex.

The rest of his thoughts were banished from his mind as he moaned more loudly than before, and the white substance that was his seed shot out, coating both his and Kaiba's stomach. Not even a second later, a low whine came from Kaiba, and he could feel a warmness enter him.

A minute of breathless pants and them both somehow ending up on the floor, Jou's legs hooked over Kaiba's hips, before they shared a sweet kiss. The blonde grinned tiredly after they separated, and a sigh escaped his assaulted lips.

"You missed me a lot, hey?"

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Jounouchi winced as he closed the door with a resounding click in the darkness, locking it tightly so no one could get into the Kame game shop.

As soon as he woke up, erection visible and feeling a slight bit more then hot, he had shook his head savagely to get the dreams images out of his mind and decided to go for a walk. So, after cooling himself down and taking care of his problem by better means (cold water was a very good way to wake up), he had dressed and here he was. Outside with a jean jacket that did little to block out the cold wind that seemed to drift from the alleyways invitingly.

He jumped off of the steps and twisted right as he began to make his way downtown, towards where the worst-off people lived. Where he lived and belonged.

It would be good, just to stop and maybe clean up the apartment a little; God knew it needed a cleaning. And when he was done, he'd just have a quick nap and then go to his supposedly new home. Tell Grandpa Mouto and Yug' that he had gotten up at 7, or an hour before they would've woke up, for a walk. But, in truth, it was around 3, maybe 4 o'clock in the morning.

Not the best time to wander the streets, with the hookers still casting siren's eyes at the passing cars and men walking, and the drug dealers looking aloof and spindly in their ratty coats. But he didn't mind. He was used to it. His Pop kicked him out enough, after all.

Well, he wasn't implying that his dad was exactly bad - he was just a bit abusive. Sure, the old man never beat him, hit him physically, except for a few times. The man had never touched him in his life, except maybe a few times, yet again. Mostly when he was a new teenager, testing his limits and being disobedient. The worst he had gotten was bruises and cuts on his arm, when he had refused to get out of the apartment when his old man had brought over a few of his 'friends'.

No, Jounouchi's dad never beat him to an extent where it was plainly visible. He just… The blonde didn't know. The older man just didn't want to see him because he was 'the reason why that bitch left him'?

The threats, the anger, the drinking and sometimes drugging… He could honestly say that a lot of it was his fault. If he hadn't been here, his Dad might have been able to move on with his life, maybe continue with the job he had before he was fired for showing up to work drunk too many times. Maybe the old man might have gotten a better job, after seeing that he was a little worse off then when he had started off his marriage with his mother.

Of course, Jou didn't completely take the blame. He blamed his father for not being a better husband and father, and after that, not having the will to straighten himself out. He blamed his mum for walking away from the marriage while dragging Shizuka along, and not having the will to take his father's abuse and going to marriage counseling, or, better yet, going to court for the right to be the guardian of both him and Shizuka.

He also blamed the factors that piled stress on the thin wire that was his dad and mum's marriage (and he would be one of these factors, him being rebellious in his younger years and bringing his parent's conflicting ideas of punishment into light). The only person he wouldn't blame was Shizuka. She was too naïve and innocent to understand what was happening at the time and what was about too happen, and too young to do anything about it.

Really, it was kind of slaughtered, how much he thought of it, but it was something to think about. Sometimes. If he could stand the horrifying memories of his first few months alone with the old man. Those were the months where he was actually abused physically and mentally to an extent where he ran away. That was when his dad had stopped, after he had saw the blonde in handcuffs at his doorway for resisting the police. He didn't know why his dad stopped beating him after that, but he guessed it was because the old man saw what would happen to the brown-eyed boy if he continued to hurt him.

So, yeah, Pop still hurt him sometimes, only when he was really high or out.

Jounouchi's eyebrow furrowed as the ground turned more smooth, the children's' handprints that were imprinted in the sidewalk near the Kame game shop disappearing from view. It gave way to the pavement of City Central, the place where it was most lively every time of the day.

Had he really been walking that long? He snorted to himself quietly. He should get lost in his thoughts more often. It passed the time and made him forget that his face and hands were freezing.

Another thing he noticed as he turned the corner: Kaiba Corp. The big looming tower that stood out from the rest practically glared at him as he looked high, way high up and wondered if Kaiba was working at even this time. Then he rapidly abandoned the thought, for the fact that, number one, it was way too late (or early, considering your standpoint) to be working, and two, why was he thinking about Kaiba? Stuck up bastard anyway.

The guy didn't appreciate everything he had, only his little brother. He wasn't considerate of other's feelings, and didn't care who the hell was in his way! He was selfish, rude, arrogant, and too confident for his own good. The guy was a total asshole in his own right.

While, that was the view he gave the blonde.

The freezing teen looked back to where he had been staring at the building, slowly following the line of windows to look up at the very top window again. Yeah, Kaiba was an asshole. He would never understand why Jou hated him. Like Jou didn't understand why he dreamt of the guy he hated so much.

He continued walking, only two blocks from where he had stopped. And then, what he thought were blue eyes in a dark window of a passing car that continued forward and away from him. Next, a voice: "Hey, ya lil' punk, give me all yer money and I won't stick dis knife through yer back."

Jou smirked. Maybe he could forget Kaiba existed for a minute.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O-TBC

WOAH. Done. And I suck ALOT, just because. Chapter eight, and aren't you all just ready to kill me? XD

Heh heh. I thought so.

But, yes. End of chapter, I'm taking a load of, and I hope you enjoyed the read X).

Love it? Hate it? Send me a review! XD


	9. Forgiveness

Keeping it short. Because I'm finishing chapter 10 X3. Here's what needs to be here:

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

**WARNING: **This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi hinting. Meaning boyxboy shit. Fuck off if you find it offensive.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O- Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one's a dream and which one's real, right?

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! I will now not give personalized reviews, because this story has reached over 100 reviews, on this site and others! Thank you for supporting me despite the lack of updates! BUT for one person, who asked me to e-mail them, I didn't see your e-mail address in the review XD; SOrry!

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 9**

Late at night when all the world is sleeping  
I stay up and think of you and I wish on a star  
That somewhere you are thinking of me too

'Cause I'm dreaming of you tonight  
'Til tomorrow I'll be holding you tight  
And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be  
Than here in my room dreaming about you and me

I wonder if you ever see me (see me)  
and I wonder if you know I'm there (am I there, am I?)  
If you looked in my eyes would you see what's inside  
Would you even care

I just wanna hold you close but so far  
All I have are dreams of you  
So I wait for the day (wait for the day) and the courage to say  
How much I love you  
Yes, I do

-Dreaming of you, by Selena

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo----------------------------

He stumbled into his apartment, haphazardly throwing off his shoes and flopping onto the threadbare couch, breathing heavily and shutting his eyes tightly in what seemed to be unbearable pain.

_'That fucking bastard had a _gun._'_

The blonde tried not to dig his fingers into his side painfully, tried not to dig into the shot wound, and instead lay there and breathed as evenly as he could.

They had fought, yeah- it was pretty even too, considering the fact that he had plenty of experiences with knife fights and he could take on _anyone_ with a simple switchblade. All you had to do was dodge and watch where the guy (and, in the very rare case, girl) swung the thing.

But, guns? He had little to no experience with those. When he was in a gang, it was practically the code of conduct; if anyone had a gun, they couldn't use it in fights and it had to have the safety on. No one used a gun in gang fights, and no one used a gun to threaten a person. Unless, of course, the person was threatening to kill someone _else_.

So, he had been more than a little surprised when the guy had pulled a 9mm on him and swore to blow a hole in his head if he didn't hand over his jacket, shirt, and money. He never even thought guys got that desperate these days.

So, of course he refused. He thought it was a bluff, like the gun was empty or it was really a toy gun that looked real. Like in Duel Monsters or Go fish or whatever. But, _noooo. _The guy had a real gun that he had decided to shoot.

It wasn't so simple to dodge a bullet as it was a blade. But he had made it. Somehow. Barely.

So, while he was lying on the ground and hunched over in pain, the guy had decided that that was the opportune time to take whatever he could get.

The guy had taken his fucking jacket, of course, even though it was soaked with blood by the time he had took it off. And he had also ripped his shirt up so much that he had to take it off and press it into the bloody flesh that was currently his side. Fucking bastard.

"Fuck's sake…" He mumbled, wincing as he sat up as slowly as he could and dropping the soaked shirt with it. At least the bullet had only grazed his left side. Sure, there was a lot of bleeding, and it hurt like _hell_, but it was just a graze.

He winced again as another shot of pain ran through him. Ok. Convincing himself it was only a minor wound was just… stupid.

The blonde knew he definitely couldn't go to the police, or even the hospital, for this. For one thing, he never trusted the cops. For another, the hospital knew that when he came around, he was coming around for a kind of injury you couldn't just get in a normal jump. They would, unquestionably, tell the cops. For the last thing, this would get on the news. Telling of a teen that get shot in the streets of Domino for petty cash and some raggy clothes.

The news was _not_ his friend right now.

If the story made it on the news, and he showed up with a gun wound in school the day it aired, it would be right away connected to him. And it would spread. Then, people he didn't even know would connect him to his fucking father, and the Jounouchi's would be the fucking talk of the town. He could just imagine what they would start saying.

'Oh, I always knew they were bad eggs!'

'Not surprising that the boy is falling in the father's steps.'

'No wonder his wife left him and her son behind!'

He yelped as he felt the burning pain of something digging into the slowly bleeding wound, and he realized that his fingers had been digging into his injury as he thought about what other people would say.

_Other_ people would include Seto Kaiba, he thought bitterly, careful not to dig his fingers in again. He could definitely count on Kaiba to mock him and say things he didn't want to here. New mutt jokes! New poor jokes! Even though dueling wasn't involved, he wouldn't be surprised if their were new dueling jokes!

He scoffed. Kaiba probably had a bunch of comedians working around the clock to make jokes about him and everything about him.

He lay there for a few more minutes, thinking about Kaiba before he realized three things:

1) Why was he thinking about Kaiba?

2) He had started bleeding heavily again. Probably due to his stupidity of deciding to feel the inside of a bullet wound.

3) He was bleeding all over the couch. He cursed at this. His dad would kill him for it, surely.

Slowly, he got up, keeping the curses under his breathe in fear of waking anybody up. The greedy landlord would, of course, jump at the first chance of evicting them if he found a stupid reason to do so. Eviction meant that that lady that had called would find out he no longer had a home. That meant adoption.

Adoption sometimes meant moving away from everything you knew. Shit, adoption _always_ meant leaving everything you knew.

He couldn't help but take a few deep breathes before trying to walk again, making it to the bathroom with out falling over and howling. He should have treated it sooner. His vision was starting to get fuzzy and he was getting dangerously close to vomiting. He was dizzy, too.

The blonde tried to shrug it off, along with all of his paranoid delusions, and opened the cabinet door. Thankful that he was smart enough to at least keep their medicinal cabinet stocked up and full of bandages, he took out what he needed and began to slowly move away from the bathroom to one of the other rooms.

With careful steps and stops every time he got woozy, he made it into the living room with all of the things he needed and sat down on the now-blood-stained couch. It took him a few minutes before he got everything ready, cursing every time something went wrong, but it he finally started bandaging the wound.

His thoughts were wrapping themselves around what little, stable mind he had left, and he started cursing things. Fuck that guy. Fuck his father. Fuck himself. Fuck himself for going out at 3-4 o'clock in the morning to go for a fucking walk when he could have asked Grandpa Mouto for a longer lunch break and thought then. Fuck it all.

When he was finished the wrapping, he threw the rest of the bandages and the small scissors across the room and collapsed back onto the couch, eyes squeezing shut at the new, uncomfortable feeling of tape tight against the injury.

Maybe he could skip half of the school day tomorrow. He could tell everyone that he was having trouble with the landlord, and that he had to clean up the place a little, and do a lot of shopping and things. Make it neat and tidy. Of course, his friends would tease him about it, being 'little maid Jou!', and Yugi would worry about him since he wouldn't show up at his house today, but, fuck, he didn't care. He needed to _sleep. _

Sleep sounded good. Very good. Skipping school did too… He could sleep this day and the next away… Go back to the shop and get his clothes before school started tomorrow…

The last thought before he finally drifted off was _'Fuck Seto Kaiba too.'._

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Gomen, Takato-sensei, I had to take care of a few things with my family." He bowed halfway and stood up again after a few seconds, keeping his head low and eyes fixed onto the ground.

"Oh? Lawyer problems?" The teacher laughed, as if his joke was the funniest there was while Jounouchi gritted his teeth against the bad-tasted stab at his problems. He _had _to endure this, he _had_ no choice but to endure this.

"Ah, whatever. Go run with the rest of the kids, Jounouchi." And with that, the brunette teacher turned his back on him and walked away to another, 'better' student calling for his help.

Fuck. He was getting really sick of people turning their backs on him.

Never the less, he couldn't very well hit the teacher after he dismissed him from what could have been another mark on his already dirty record. He didn't need the suspension or any other punishment right now.

He sighed. The teachers really seemed to hate him lately. Not because he was 'that punk'. No, now he was so much more. He was the kid that had a father that molested young girls! They all probably thought he was going to follow in his dear daddy's steps now!

Yeah fucking right.

He waved to Yugi and Anzu (and ignored Honda completely) as they passed by, both (or all, if you counted Honda) of them shooting him a worried look, but they were forced to give him a passing wave instead of stopping outright and fawning over him. Mr.Takato had a very strict policy about the fifteen minute run. If he saw you standing around, he'd make you do it in front of the entire class. If you didn't do 8 laps in 5 minutes, too, he'd make you do it again, and again, and again…

You also had to stretch. If you ran outright from the change room, you'd do even more extra running.

The blonde pulled up his arms and frowned, ignoring the tiny niggling in the back of his mind that told him he should be careful of something, or slow down. He forgot exactly _what_ though.

He shrugged, putting down his arms and cracking the fingers before getting ready to bend over to stretch his legs. Oh well. It must have not been _that_ impo-

"Holy Fucking SHIT!"

"What was that, Jounouchi Katsuya!"

"I said 'Coolly lucking it!'!"

He got no response from the teacher for the bad excuse (which he took as a good sign), and continued to stretch as best he could. The brown-eyed boy bit his lip against the pain one stretch caused and cursed himself inside and out.

Of course he was going to overexert himself today! He had a fucking bullet wound in his side and Mr. Takato as a gym teacher! What was he asking for, suicide? Why hadn't he come a little later, maybe after physical education? He could have came during English or History or something!

He decided to cut off the rest of those thoughts because they were putting him in a foul mood, plus he'd been ready to run for 30 seconds already. He had to concentrate on not ripping open his side again and focus on something else besides the probably-bleeding injury.

Slowly, the teen began to run, frowning against the pain and how slow he was going. He just hoped no one would notice that fact.

5 laps later (with many distracting thoughts… Mr.Rivedo in a tutu… The English language… Seto Kaiba and him fu- Woah, shit, he wasn't going there), he found himself going slower then even before. So much that he looked like he was just _trying_ to look like he was jogging. And his side was really hurting. God damn the stupid track field, and how big it was… It was so big…

He blinked as his sight got bright spots in it for a moment and he stumbled, swearing lightly. The blonde blinked again as he heard his own voice, slightly slurred. Like he was drunk. Or really sick. Or something.

Those spots again…

And he was back again, looking at a smiling Yugi and Anzu (still not counting Honda, who looked uncomfortable). "Hey Jou!"

"…Hey." His voice sounded slightly less slurred. Still slurred. And there were even more spots in his vision that were staying instead of fading. What…?

"Jou, what happened to you last night! I wa-"

"Jounouchi! Oh me God! You're side!"

"Jou, man, what t-"

"TAKATO-SENSEI! JOU IS BL-"

"Move out of the way, you idiots!"

Geez. He swore that that was Kaiba's voice just not. That was impossible. Kaiba didn't have emotion like that.

_'Impossible, as you're-life-is-going-to-hell-in-a-hand basket impossible? That's not impossible.' _

With that, he blacked out.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Jounouchi… Happy Birthday."

He felt the tap on his shoulder and a present was thrust in his vision, making him grin and look up. The blonde gave a quick kiss on the cheek of his lover, voice teasing and mocking (much like those house wives on TV) as he looked back to examine the package. "Oh, Seto! You remembered! And you shouldn't have!"

All he got in return was a small smile and a slightly comical voice that oozed working-man (TV-style). "Open it. You'll like it."

He nodded, fingers twirling around the ribbon that adorned the top and dropping the overworked act. "Ok."

Slowly, his fingers slid down the ribbon until they had a hold of one end and he gently pulled at them, causing the loose decoration to fall away. He flitted his fingers over the tape keeping the lid and grinned cutely. "Never one for wrapping, were you Seto?"

"Shut up, mutt. At least I don't wrap it in newspaper."

He laughed at that, peeling the pieces of tape away one by one until he had finished the last piece and started pulling the box open. "Fine, fine! It's the tho- Woah!"

The brown-eyed duelist stared inside the box at the intricately designed bracelet, from the silver plate that shined brilliantly (even in the dull light), to the dragons that twisted around it and went off to the side to hold the fairly large chain in place.

He quickly picked it up (taking care not to smudge his fingerprints on the plate or to wreck the bracelet somehow. He had a knack for ruining things) and stared hard at the letters that didn't quite make sense to him. A wash of light flooded over it, and he smiled at his lover. "Thanks!"

Again, he looked at it, finally noticing what the rather plain letters (he had thought it would be those kind of swoopy ones that went off to the side) stated.

'Katsuya Jounouchi

January 25, 1987'

"An ID bracelet!" He smiled happily and pecked the brunette on the cheek, trying to quell the slight disappointment inside of him. He thought it would've been something more… _romantic,_ for lack of a better word, like a declaration of undying love. Sure, this was expensive, but…

"You didn't read the rest, mutt. Turn it over."

"Huh?" Rest? What rest?

He turned it over slowly, heart pounding loudly in his ears as he read the other lines that were present.

_'Dreams are for Lovers.  
You'll discover.' _

Aishiteru, Katsuya

-Seto

It was a very short quote, and in those swoopy letters, but…

"Seto…"

If you'd have to know one thing about Seto Kaiba, you'd know that he wasn't the type of person to say 'I love you' very much.

Sure, he said it enough, especially when he knew when to say it and how much it meant at a moment. But that was very little; he had always stated that love was thrown around to freely these days, and that it was always an unsure thing. That was why Jou had only heard it 5 times, tops.

To get it permanently engraved into something, though? He felt a lump (of something that wasn't tears! Men didn't cry!) in his throat rising. That must have been such a big step, and all of the risks of getting it done…

"Look deeper. There's a piece of paper."

He nodded, not even trying to object or make a teasing comment, and lifted the piece of paper that had been under the bracelet. He delicately unfolded it and blinked back any surprise after reading it.

In Seto's girly handwriting, it simply said: 'I.O.U. another present, and something else. Ask me what.'

He nodded to himself before looking up, giving him a brilliant smile. "I don't need anymore presents, Seto! These are so…" He paused, unable to find any words. "So… Fuck, Thank you!"

The blonde launched himself at the brunette over the couch in half a second, making them both fall over, and he gave a happy giggle (which he would later deny and say it was a burp). "How could you buy me something so… expensive! Never mind that you're the richest man in Domino, but… No more presents!"

The brunette took a few breathes to regain his air and then smiled as best one could when they had the wind knocked out of them. "Then take it as a present from me for me."

"Wha- No! Bastard! No fair!"

"Be quiet, puppy. I still got one more present to give you."

"Seto! You're… Geez… You're making me all… You're…" Fuck. He had nothing he could think of to say besides a thousand thank you's. So, instead, he asked. "What's this other present, anyway? I could just live with out it, ya know."

"Yes, you could, but you've wanted this for a while too." The rich teen suddenly seemed to get slightly flustered, a tint of barely-noticeable red on his cheeks.

The blonde took note of this, giving a teasing grin. "Really? What is it, then?"

"Remember how you said that I'm always topping you and that you wanted to try it?"

"…Yeah?" If Seto was going to say what he thought he was going to say…

"You can be top tonight… I decided that you shoul-"

The brunette was cut off by the blonde grabbing his face and giving him one of those big, sloppy kisses a dog would give if he kissed like a person. Jou laughed as he pulled away, wrapping his arms around the brunette's neck. "Are you serious, Seto? You'll let me top you, and without complaint?"

"Yes, idiot!"

Holy shit, Seto was going to let him top! Him, the blonde idiot, top Seto, the icy cold CEO!

He grinned as the brunette looked away, giving him a teasing kiss on his ear lobe. "Seto, it won't be that bad. You know how it feels when you're inside me?"

"Yes?"

"Way better."

"… I'll take your word on it." The brunette looked back up and gave a small smile again, which changed into a smirk after that. "Only once. You better not complain after this, either."

"Of course not, Seto!" He gave a cheeky grin. "C'mon. Let's go to the bed, then! Topping for the first time isn't going to be great if you get rug burn from it."

"…" The taller teen chose to stay silent at this, and the shorter duelist grinned again and led the other boy by the hand towards the elaborate master bedroom. He laughed silently as he walked, giving a wave to Mokuba as they passed his bedroom. Finally, his day had come!

He could practically feel the tension coming off of the brunette. He'd have to fix that.

Another silent laugh to himself as he opened the door and led the other inside and to the bed after closing said door.

He smiled one more time before he tugged on the other's shirt. "Take it off. Less clothes to rip!"

Again, not a word from the brunette as he took off the shirt, and he took off his own shirt as he thought about what to do. Get the brunette to ride him? From the back? Get him to suck him off first?

He looked over the young CEO as he sat on the bed, looking relaxed and as if he didn't have a care in the world. The blonde could tell, though; His shoulders were slightly hunched over and the other had the tick that said person didn't even know about developing in his eyebrow.

The shorter bottom (now to be top!) grinned languidly again as he walked over to the brunette and climbed onto his lap, kissing the corner of his mouth and whispering. "Relax."

He felt the forced-relaxation and practically laughed before he began to place kisses on the brunette. On the brow, the corner of the eye, the cheek, the ear, the neck, the chin…

He felt impatience, and he grinned. Showed him what teasing felt like.

The duelist finally gave in and placed a full kiss on the other's mouth, feeling it move under his own as they kissed softly for a few minutes.

It was soon forgotten as he sucked the bottom lip of his lover into his mouth and looked at the other's face intently as he growled, eyes shut tight and a lot more relaxed then before.

He quietly slipped his tongue into the other's mouth, passing over the teeth and gums before finally nudging playfully at the other's tongue, wrapping around it and coaxing him to play along.

They gently battled for dominance, the brunette giving in more than pushing away and vice versa.

It ended quickly and Jou took full control, sighing happily at the new sensation of complete power. He understood why Kaiba loved topping now. It was really addicting, the fight for dominance and winning it.

He separated from the brunette and started kissing slowly down his collarbone, pushing him down gently until he was leaning over the now laid-out CEO. Quietly nipping at the skin there, he let his hands play over the other's stomach until one hand brushed over a pert nipple and caused a sigh from the blue-eyed teen.

"Seto…" He drawled out the name and licked a path to the ear, gently biting it before whispering. "How's it so far?"

There was no response for a split second, and then Kaiba's voice, breathless and wanting. "Good, Jou-pup."

"Jou-pup?" He gave a playful nip to the pale boy's neck and received a small moan in return for it. He laughed. "Am I acting like a puppy, Se-to?"

"Nn…" He had snaked a hand down to rub against Kaiba's quickly hardening member through his pants, and smirked. Kaiba, loss of words? That usually didn't go into the same sentence together.

He sat back up and rocked slowly, smirking again when a louder moan came from Kaiba's mouth. His smirk slowly faded as he took in the sight before him, appreciating it to the finest detail.

For one, there was a glistening of saliva on Kaiba's chin, and his eyes were half-lidded in pleasure. His mouth was open in short bursts of breathe, and his neck was red from the biting. The one thing he could really appreciate, though, was Seto's skin. It was milky white and stretched before him, shining with a light sheen of sweat.

Shit. Did he look like this to Seto when they did this? So… Fuckable?

He leaned down and gently bit the brunette's bottom lip, receiving a low growl in response. "Nah uh, Seto. You have to be all uke-ish for me today."

No response, and he liked to think it was because Kaiba was too out of breathe to speak. He grinned. Seto and out of breathe weren't things you usually saw together, either.

He beckoned Seto to move up the bed so that they'd be lying vertically on it, and he gave a quick kiss to Seto's collarbone before making his way downwards with bites and harsh kisses, pausing when he got to one nipple to gently nip at it while his other hand brushed against the other.

The blonde stopped when Kaiba moaned again and he continued down again, delving his tongue into the belly button before coming to rest on the prize.

He smirked before mouthing the erection through the fabric, and Seto bucked his hips up, crying out.

"You like that, do you?" He muttered to himself, licking the heavy fabric and receiving a keeling moan in response. Mouthed the fabric again and got bucking hips. He grinned. Never knew Kaiba was _that_ sensitive to a dominant cock-sucker.

He held down his hips as he undid the button of the pants with the other hand and licked the fine hair leading under the fabric, grinning when Kaiba's cock was shown. He pushed off the rest of the pants, letting Kaiba kick the little remainder before grinning even more widely then before.

And then he deep-throated the brunette.

The response was instant, and he had to grab the young CEO's hips to keep him from thrusting up wildly at the contact. He slowly licked up the shaft, pausing in his ministrations to look up. To see that Kaiba was staring at him with half-lidded eyes that just screamed 'Sex!'. He smirked silently in response, moving his head slightly and licking the tip before taking him whole and sucking all the way down to the hilt.

A low keeling moan from above and he took one hand off of a hip cautiously, bringing it down to trace the balls lightly and thinking silently as he continued to move his head in a nonexistent rhythm. What did Kaiba usually do with his hands besides a fantastic hand job?

He swirled his tongue around the tip and then remembered. Prepping.

Slowly, he teased the entrance of Kaiba's with his forefinger, pushing it in slightly as he sucked lightly on the side of the erection. Getting no response, he slowly pushed the finger inside. The blonde almost moaned himself when he felt the heat of his one finger being inside Kaiba.

Shit. Is that what it felt like?

He sucked silently on the tip again before looking up and seeing Kaiba lost in the pleasure of it. He smirked.

He added a second finger, and that was when he got a response of some kind.

Seto squirmed slightly before groaning loudly, closing his eyes. "Ah… Jou…"

Oh, shit! Kaiba was coming! What did Seto usually do when he was gonna climax before it was wanted?

Without thinking, he grabbed the base of the hardened member and squeezed, causing the brunette to whimper at the loss of the sensation.

The blonde sighed mentally, and without thought, added a third finger. Kaiba wasn't going to come yet. Which was a good thing. While, until he was through with him. And, fuck, the guy could take a lot of pain. He'd usually be still for a minute or so after three fingers.

He quickly sucked up his cock before letting it go, causing another growl to come from the brunette.

"You can't complain, Seto. You're enjoying this too much." He laughed at the haphazard glare he received, stretching out his arm to open the drawer on the bed side table and retrieving the lube.

He smirked at the slightly embarrassed look on the brunette's face as he spotted what Jou held in his hand. The blonde spoke, voice slightly amused, after he had uncapped it, squeezing a generous amount on his fingers before unzipping his own pants and slathering some on his own hard cock. "Don't worry, Seto; It doesn't hurt after a few seconds, and you have a high pain tolerance, right?"

The brunette nodded and he positioned himself at the other's entrance, smiling for a second. "Ready?"

The young CEO nodded and the blonde took that as his cue to go. Slowly, he pushed himself in, watching for any signs of discomfort in his lover. When he only got some squirming and then a light nod for the go-ahead, he pulled back out and went in again slowly.

The brunette arched slightly this time, and Jou kissed his stomach before moving again.

He began a slow rhythm that gradually grew faster the more Seto moaned, and he gave a low, keeling moan of his own when he started going a bit faster every few seconds.

The bed began to rock slowly as they quickened their pace, and both of them moaned loudly as Jou hit a particular sensitive bundle of nerves.

The blonde smirked as the brunette through his head back, and he stopped for a split second, starting the rhythm they had began with and hitting the bundle of nerves each time. A low growl, and he laughed lightly. "Say my name then, Seto, just like I say yours."

Wow. He could speak in the heat of the moment.

"Jou…" That snapped him out of his solo thought and he sped up, practically grinding their hips together in the process.

"Jou…" He shut his eyes tightly in the pure ecstasy of hearing his name said like that, being said like that. He had never heard Kaiba say it like that…

"Jou!" The brunette began a small chant, saying the one name under his breathe over and over as said blonde slammed into him. "Jou, Jou, Jou, Jou!"

He arched forward as he felt his own climax coming, practically gasping out the next sentence. "Seto, I'm coming…!"

"…Jou!" His name started getting louder on the other's lips, and the blonde knew the other's climax was coming too. He felt the hot heat tightening around him, and he gasped out before practically screaming (at the exact same time Kaiba did) the other's name.

He held himself up for a split second before collapsing on the other, pressing his cheek against the sweaty chest and sighing.

"That was…"

"…"

"Holy shit."

They lay in silence for a few more seconds before he sat up and pulled himself out, frowning when he realized he still had his jeans halfway on.

He shrugged, quickly kicking them off the side of the bed and then laying down beside the brunette.

"…Now I can understand why you're such a domination-freak."

"I can understand why you like being bottom."

"…We should do that more often. You know, me being the top, you being bottom…"

"Just… Shut up, Puppy. Go to sleep."

He laughed as the brunette placed a kiss on his head and pulled the sheets up over them, snuggling closer to his lover's warmth.

"…I still say we should do that more often."

"I said shut up."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Jounouchi-kun, are you awake? Someone wants to question you."

He shut his eyes tighter against the intrusion of sound and turned over to bury the side of his face into his pillow, waving his hand away and forgetting momentarily what had happened. "Go away, m- Wait. What?"

The blonde flipped back over after he had comprehended what the nurse had said, and his eyes widened slightly. "Question? Who?"

"A woman claiming she's from an organization called 'Homes for the Heart'." The male nurse raised an eyebrow after looking Jou up and down, raising a hand offhandedly. "I'll just say that you need to dress. You should take care of your problem."

Problem…?

In the seconds after it Jou had realized what 'problem' meant, he had flipped over onto his stomach and tugged the sheet with the glaring stain with him. How was he hard again? Could people _get_ hard after coming once? Why the fuck had he had that stupid dream in the first place!

He heard a laugh from the young-looking nurse, a pause, and then a weight as new sheets and a wet towel were thrown onto his bed. "Be careful of your IV, you better make a new bed while I distract them, and there's new clothes in there too. Throw all the other stuff in the bathtub."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Jou with his embarrassed thoughts and stained sheets.

He lay in bed a few seconds more, letting his thoughts and feelings wash over him before getting up. He'd have to ask how'd he got to the hospital later, as well as why he had blacked out. Maybe it was heat stroke? Or…

A cringe as he stretched his side a little too much and he remembered. The fucking bullet wound. Fuck. Now everybody knew about it!

The young duelist sighed, ripping the bed sheets off and walking towards the bathroom, dragging his IV filled with his blood type along with him. Well, maybe people wouldn't really question him about it. He had always showed up with other various injuries before, like a cut-up arm (courtesy of playing one of the gang's twisted games), or bruises all over (from the gang-fights he had been in). It wouldn't be much different. They'd just think he had gone back to being in a gang. Or got jumped. Nothing different.

He threw the light green hospital gown he had on over his head and along with the rest of the sheets into the bathtub, and put on the other, plainer white one. As a second thought, he bent down and turned the cold water tap on, hoping to God that it would take the stain out before anyone else saw it. It worked with blood sometimes, so why not with his… 'substances'?

It could also help him get rid of his 'problem', as the nurse had so aptly called it.

Quickly putting his hands under the cold stream of water, he waited until his hands were ice cold before putting them on his aching member. He hissed as it came onto contact, but held on and thought of something other than sex.

After he had calmed down, he turned off the tap, frowning lightly as he remembered something the guy had said. 'Homes for the Heart'? Who was 'Homes for the Heart'? He hadn't even heard of such an 'organization' before. Was it like some adoption thing? Or…

It clicked in his mind and he swore loudly, slapping a hand over his mouth and biting the flesh lightly to resist the urge to curse more and attract attention to his room. 'Homes for the Heart' did sound like an adoption agency, but why would adoption agencies come to him? Another place that specialized in helping kids find 'homes' was foster care, wasn't it? And orphanages and things like that!

He dragged his IV over to the bed and started savagely whipping the sheets into place, trying to take out his anger on something so mundane. Fucking foster care was coming to get him. They were going to take him away. And then he'd lose everyone! And… fuck no, he wasn't going!

This time was as good a time to lie as any.

The brown-eyed blonde slipped under the slightly loose covers and waited, leaning back onto the pillows to get comfier.

He didn't have to wait long, because not even two minutes later the male nurse came again and stood to the side as two people walked in. One was a strict-looking lady with gray starting to show in her black hair and hard, glinting eyes (Jou thought she would've been an attractive older lady if she didn't look so _mean._). The other one was a younger woman, looking around his age with a dyed blue streak in her blonde hair and looking rather… while, Jou couldn't think of anything else but the words _'Come near me and I'll make sure you know the meaning of beat-down'._ Mean-bored looking. Or something.

He watched them both warily as they sat down in the chairs beside his bed, catching a face made from the nurse that was still in the room. He contained the laugh he had and put on his poker face for the two ladies. If they were going to try and make him uncomfortable or anything else, they wouldn't! Not him, fuck no!

"Jounouchi, I want you to meet Mea Tenako, the young woman your father sexually harassed."

…Well, shit. This was awkward.

At least he recognized the voice of the older woman. She was the one who had lied to him and said he only needed $2500 to get his father out of jail. The one who had called and said he might have to be picked up.

The blonde nodded after a second at the girl, who simply raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but it's probably not likewise."

He gave a cheeky grin at the shocked looks on both of their faces and continued, seemingly oblivious to the range of emotions showing on their faces. "So, what'd you come here for? Coming to force me to live in someone-whom-I-do-not-know's house? Or am I charged for something I didn't do?"

The aging woman seemed to get over her shock before she spoke, voice both sour and business-like at the same time. "Jounouchi-kun, I'd advise you to be nice to this woman here! She's considering dropping the charges against your father."

What?

… Oh shit.

He mentally berated himself as the girl gave him a funny smile, one that really reminded him of Kaiba in the sense that they both thought they were above him. Why did he have to go and practically insult her, and be so rude! Why! Where were his good manners!

The woman spoke again as he killed himself inside, voice calmer than it had been before. Probably from knocking Jou down a few pegs. "I'd also like to know how you got the bullet wound you have in your side at the moment."

There was a warning underlying her tone, and he knew that if he said something about fighting, she'd most likely take him to a Home. He wasn't exactly _fighting_ though, right? The guy had jumped him, not the other way! And self defense was valid as not fighting!

He doubted she'd care if it was self defense. Thank God for white lies.

"I was walking to my house at 5 in the morning because I was just going to clean up the place, right, and I had to work off my room and board at a friend's house later, right? And take in the mail, stuff like that." Lying was easy. Very, very easy. Maybe he should have left out the part about working off room-and-board, though. "And then, when I was almost home, this guy came out of the alley. I didn't see him until he pushed the gun to my back and demanded that I give him my shirt and jacket and money."

Resist the urge to swear and keep the accent out again, he told himself. "I said I wouldn't, because people don't usually carry fully loaded guns, ya know? So I kind of moved, just a little…"

He squeezed his thumb and forefinger close together and left a space in between to prove his point. "And the guy shot me. Good thing I had moved, because it would have gotten me right in the back. It only hit my side, though." He grinned brilliantly, as if he really was thankful to be alive and God was great, blah blah blah. Bullshit.

"Yes. Very." Her voice was cold and hard, and he knew she wished he had gotten shot. God. What a frigid bitch. "Jounouchi-kun, you'll know I'll have to check up on this with the people currently housing you, and talk about this with higher authorities to make sure you aren't currently in a gang?"

"Yeah, I know." He knew that she would suspect it was a gang fight.

"And if it was a gang, you'll be taken away to another city to live. You know this?"

"Yes." Knew it? It was fucking obvious! He wish he could yell at her and tell her that she was a fuckin-

"Alright. I'll live you alone with Tenako-san." Why'd she get a better honorific? And leaving him alone with her? She'd kill him! Or something! And blame it on him! "She requested to talk to you. Alone."

The older woman looked at the other and nodded slightly. "I'll be back in 5 minutes to drive you home, alright? I have to figure out when Jounouchi-kun came here."

The young girl nodded. "Ok. Thank you, Benachi-san."

And then the woman (and the male nurse) left, and he suddenly felt as if the tension in the room had heightened somewhat. That was until the girl spoke, slumping down and sighing. "God, what a _bitch._"

"Yeah… What? Huh?" Did she just call 'Benachi-san' a bitch!

A quiet giggle came from the girl, and he couldn't help but grin (albeit a little nervously). "Surprised, huh?"

Hey! She even had a slight accent. Kind of like his. What…?

Before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and blurted out something that might have been considered rude. "Are you even Japanese?"

She blinked and laughed this time, the sound deep and booming compared to a 'normal' girl's voice. He couldn't help but stare at the weird girl. Was she English? American? Maybe that was why she was so odd.

"No, I'm not even Japanese. I wish." She had a slightly wistful tone as she said this, but it was replaced by her normal voice as she spoke again. "I'm from America. Washington, if you've ever heard of it. It's pretty big, ya know? But, anyway, yeah… I'm considerin' dropping the charges because… While, shit, you're kinda like me, you know?"

He continued to stare at the odd girl, who simply smiled and started twirling the piece of hair with the blue streak in it around her finger. Before he could even ask anymore, she spoke again. "Here, and back in America, I'm what people call a 'prostitute'."

The blonde almost choked when she said that. Prostitute?

"Not really, even…" She continued, still twirling the piece of hair. "I only have dates with very rich men, because those kind are only attracted to foreigners like me... I'm the 'young lady' that men cheat on their wives with…"

He nodded absent-mindedly, wondering if she thought he was American. He brushed it off as she gulped down a small bottle of water he only noticed she had now.

"Anyway…" She put the drink back into her the hood of her bunny-hug (which was probably where she had gotten it from). "You grew up on the 'wrong side' of the tracks' too, right?" He nodded. "And money is hard to come by… And, anyway, yer dad didn't really _molest_ me. I'm used to that kind of treatment."

"Actually…" She began to blush, rubbing a hand on her cheek as if to wipe it away. "The supposed boyfriend I was going to be meeting was really a rich boi that was paying me to look like his girlfriend in front of a lot of friends, with benefits on the side, of course. He hadn't even been there the day yer dad came to me and did that stuff."

He blinked. So that meant that she hadn't been meeting her boyfriend? Why was she in the back alley then? This was getting fucked up.

She seemed to sense his confusion and scowled slightly, tugging on that one hair. "I was trying to get some drugs, ok? I'm a dealer as well as a pro-pro… Pro-prostitute… Whatever you call it. So…"

There was silence, where Jou was trying to figure out why she told him all of this and while she waited for him to figure it out. 3 minutes passed with his slow thinking and she sighed, apparently giving up on him.

"Look, I just don't want to bring another street-brother down. It's gonna be hell just paying for the one charge that's still being pressed down on ya, ya know? So I'll drop it, because I know how hard it is to bail people outta jail." She smiled at him. "Ok? And… I dun know if I should really be doin' this, but… You have a job, right? A 'good' job?"

He nodded excitedly, trying to quell the feeling of happiness growing in his stomach. She was dropping charges!

"… Well, since I'm well-off enough, ya know, living in the middle-ground town… I was thinking I could use some of my money to help you out, and in exchange, you come clean up my apartment… It's a lot messy, and… well, shit, I need a cleaner…"

…And offering him a job!

In a split second, he had pulled her up and was grasping her in a bear hug, smile shining brilliantly on his face as he let her go and twirled her around. "Holy shit, thank you! Fucking thank you! You have _no_ clue how much this fucking means to me!"

Both of them laughed, him hugging her and her grinning as widely as he. They hugged each other until they heard the stern voice of the woman that had come to make Jou's life a living hell coming from down the hall.

They both let go quickly and sat down professionally, as if they both _knew_ that they had to act as if they had had a serious talk instead of having a small celebration. A quick smile from both of them before the nurse walked into the room with the older woman closely following, looking slightly flustered and angry.

"Tenako-san, I must leave now. Please say your goodbyes."

She nodded, again looking bored and mean. "Fine. Jounouchi-kun, I'll get the number of where you're staying from Benachi-san and talk to you further about the charges, alright?"

She gave him a brief, tight-lipped smile, but the emotions in her eyes told differently. He grinned inwardly, thinking what they might have been both wanting to say to each other. _'Put on a play for the aging bitch, right?' _

"Alright, Tenako-chan. Talk to you later." He nodded and tried not to grin.

When they left, he let out a little laugh and almost jumped through the air at the same time when the nurse spoke, a little smirk on his face as he checked the IV bag. "Nice getting along, then?"

"Fuck yeah." He grinned again, not minding his own swearing and reminiscing about the short conversation with the girl. Shit, she was cool! Kind of like… Well, yeah, a sister. Sister from a different mister!

He quietly snickered to himself while the brunette man checked the rest of the things that needed to be checked and made sure the needles were in tightly before looking at him. "Oh, and you should really thank the brunette guy that came in and dropped you off. You were bleeding like crazy. Got blood all over the school uniform."

Jou looked at him weirdly. Honda? Honda had done that for him? Maybe he'd forgive the guy later. "Oh? Really? Damn, I'll thank the guy later. Thanks, man."

The other guy grinned back, standing straight and flashing him a smile. "Alright, everything is in order. The real-real nurse will be here in a few minutes."

Before Jou could speak or yell at him for impersonating a professional nurse, he cut him off breezily. "I'm just an intern. A nice intern. I'll say you vomited a little on the sheets."

The blonde glared at the intern and almost made a snappy comment before he remembered what the 'vomit' really was, and what the guy was gonna do for him. "Ah… Thanks."

"No problem." Another flashing grin. "Seeya around, Jounouchi Katsuya!"

And for the third time that day, Jou was left alone with only his thoughts as company. This time though, they weren't angry. He grinned. He had also meet two new people today, and had forgiven one for heroic reasons. The nurse intern guy and Mea Tenako, and Honda playing the hero that had saved him. That was enough to forgive anyone, right? Saving your life?

He lay back into his pillows and sighed happily. Things were OK today, even counting the black out. At least he had a valid reason for missing school. He'd think about the 'depressing things' later. Like his dad and everything else and Seto Kaiba and the like.

He closed his eyes. Yeah. That stuff would wait until later.

Monday was a good day.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O-TBC

So ends another chapter of When All Else Fails.

For… Any questions, review?

Oh, and the girl? She was a woman-Jou, with a few tweaks XD. So… Yeah.

Review if you hate it, review if you love it, how about you just review it? XD! Thanks, and I PROMISE AN UPDATE SOON!


	10. Moodiness

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

**WARNING**: This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi hinting. Meaning boyxboy shit. Fuck off if you find it offensive.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O- Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one's a dream and which one's real, right?

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! I will now not give personalized reviews, because this story has reached over 100 reviews, on this site and others! Thank you for supporting me despite the lack of updates!

... BUT GAH. 99 reviews here! Next reviewer gets next chapter dedicated to them! X3!

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

**WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, CHAPTER 10**

_Let me not mar that perfect Dream  
__By an Auroral stain  
__But so adjust my daily Night  
__That it will come again. _

_Not when we know, the Power accosts --  
__The Garment of Surprise  
__Was all our timid Mother wore  
__At Home -- in Paradise._

_-Emily Dickinson_

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Ok, Joooou-chan! This is your last day! Aren't you just ecstatic?"

"I was only here for a night, Fuji-chan! And don't call me that!"

"Seems like an eternity for me, Jou-CHAN! I'll be missing your presence dearly." The last part was said dryly as the male nurse wrapped the last of Jou's wounds around his side, making Jou shiver from the cold hands touching his skin.

"Fuji-chan! Your hands are cold! Stop touching me!"

"What can I say? You're irresistible!" He heard the grin behind that and laughed, haphazardly striking a pose (due to the wound still being sore).

"Oh, I know. My American-like good looks attracts thousands. You're only another scratch on the wall!"

"Only! Jou-chan, I'm hurt! I thought I was so much more!"

They both grinned at each other, trying not to laugh at the looks Jou's room must have been getting from their little 'charade'.

For the last day (well, not even 24 hours, really…), they had started to play a little game: See how much they could hit on the other, and see if they could turn it around when it was them being hit on. And…

That was it, really. Just see how much times the other could hit on the other, and/or turn it around. So far, it was:

Jounouchi Katsuya: 7 ½

Fuji Yukio: 10

Hitting on both of them at the same time: 2

The last one was their because they couldn't decide who won what. It was quickly turning into 3, too, on Jou's part.

"You're not the only one who thinks that, Fuji-chan! There are a millions others! Hell, even myself! I'm jealous of my own good looks!"

"But… Jou-chan!" The voice became dramatic, the brunette trying not to bust a gut laughing as he saw the blonde boy trying to do the same. "I want to marry you!"

At this point in time, the blue-eyed boy usually flung himself in a kind of hug-tackle (which, in girl terms, was called a 'glomp'). And he did that in the exact fashion he usually did, meaning that he carefully avoided the wound by nestling his head in Jou's lap with the rest of his body still half off the bed.

"Jounouchi-kun, Your medications are i- Oh."

They hadn't even noticed the older woman nurse come in, they were so busy trying to embarrass each other. Too late now to spring apart and act as if nothing was happening, right?

They grinned as the woman stared. When she spoke, her voice was tight and high, as if she were nervous. Or scared. Or both. Either was good.

"Oh, your medication is at the counter Jounouchi-kun, pick it up and you're on your way. Have a nice…" Fuji decided to bury his head deeper into Jou's lap, making said blonde snort. "Uh, Day!"

She left quickly after that, and they waited for a few seconds after she was gone before they burst into fits off laughter that had them short-breathed and gasping after only a minute or two.

As soon as they calmed down enough for them to only giggle a bit when they looked at each other, the male nurse scooted over so that he was only sitting on the end of the bed instead of on Jou's knees. His face became contemplative as Jou looked upwards (to quell his giggles), who hadn't even noticed the change of mood in his friend.

"Jou-kun?"

The blonde looked down again and didn't even have the urge to laugh, as he had before, when he looked at the now serious brunette. "Yeah?"

"I know I shouldn't be doing this… But you've been keeping me entertained for the last couple of hours… Ya know, since the hospital is boring and all… So…"

Jou looked at him worriedly as the pale-boy looked down, looking lost in thought.

For the last day, Fuji had become a quick friend that loved joking as much as he did. Sure, he was serious when he was supposed to be, and joking at the times he wasn't supposed to be. That was why the blonde felt instantly attracted to him. He hadn't even seen the brunette this serious, though! Not even when he was talking about Gatchoka-sama (his favorite patient), a deaf old-timer on the brink of death and in the painful throes of cancer.

"So…" His eyes quickly scanned the room, as if someone was already in there and watching both of their every move, and then scanned the outside of the door before he reached over and grabbed Jou's jeans, stuffing something that crinkled inside of the tight pocket.

Wait… Was that…!

"Shit, Fuji! You're gonna get me in trouble with that kind of shit! Especially if I get found with it!" He whispered furiously, eyeing his now-bulging jeans pocket.

"I know, I know!" The brunette looked slightly exasperated, like a dog about to be caged. The tension rose and broke each time someone passed the door, and the blue-eyed boy leaned towards Jou to whisper even more quietly then he had been before.

"Especially with you're old man in jail, right?" The blonde shot him an angry glare and he rolled his eyes. "You know I don't give a shit about what he did. But it's to help the pain, Jounouchi-kun! You don't know how bad an infected wound can get, even if treated with the proper medications and such! So that's to help the pain subside a little more! I'm doing this for you, not tog et you in trouble!"

The blonde looked doubtful, and the brunette sighed again. "Only to help. If you get caught with it before you drop it off at your home or whatever, you can come and directly put the blame on me. I won't care. I actually like you as a friend! And I look out for my friends!"

The brown-eyed duelist gave it a second thought before sighing, giving into the blue-eyed boy's trump card. Damn Fuji for knowing his loyalty to his friends (Except for, of course, Honda at the moment, whom he was a little less angry at for saving him). "OK, ok, Fuji! I'll be careful and not get caught, ok? So you won't get in trouble and all."

He threw his legs over the bedspread and grinned easily, the tension and anger dropped. "Now get lost and let me get dressed. Go visit Gatchoka-sama or whatever. I'll visit in a week or so, or when I get shot again."

They both laughed, although a little nervously from the presence of the bag in Jou's pocket. The brunette spoke next, taking care to slap the blonde teenager's back very lightly. "Alrigh, Jou-kun. See ya in a week or so."

"Yeah, later!"

When the brunette left, Jou sighed and dragged his jeans over to his bed and slowly started putting them on. He was desperately hoping he wouldn't get caught with the bag in his pants. Especially since it was full of 'that illegal stuff'.

He sighed.

God damn the man that made Tuesday mornings.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"What… The fuck is this?"

Jou blinked as he stared at white envelope that had been lying on his school shoes when he opened his locker. He blinked again when he noticed that it had something large in it. _Really _large. Inch-large.

A feeling of suspicion slowly rose in him as he thought about what it would be. Drugs to sabotage him (Never mind the fact that he still had the drugs his nursefriend had given him in his pocket)? A hate mail? Something that could possibly hurt him if he touched it? Well, he was pretty sure it wasn't something good; after what his father did, it wasn't worthy of praise or prize.

Cautiously, he fingered the tip of the envelope before pulling it towards him and feeling around the edges of the content. It wasn't drugs, because drugs weren't so hard… If it was hate mail, it would be thinner… If it was supposed to hurt him, he was pretty sure it would have hurt him by now…

What was square, big, thick, and roughly the size of a rectangle?

He laughed at the first thought that popped up into his mind: _money_. A big, big pile of money! Maybe 100 dollar bills! Maybe even a thousand dollar bills!

He snorted as he ran his fingernail under the flap that sealed the envelope closed, tearing it open jaggedly. Yeah. Money. That'd be the day that happened. He grabbed the edge of the object (still cautiously) and pulled it out, fully expecting a can of sardines. It wasn't money. No one would give him mon-

_"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"_

The few people in the hallway stopped and looked at him oddly, and he quickly feigned an injury of some kind by shaking the hand that hadn't been inside the bag, all the while thrusting the hand that held the object he had pulled out.

"Ah… Owwww! OW!"

He grinned sheepishly, still shaking his hand, and they all slowly turned away or walked to the destinations they were going before they were rudely interrupted by his yelling. Once the blonde saw that he wasn't being paid attention too anymore, he turned his wide eyes on the 'present' he had received.

A big pile of 500 dollar bills. The kind you saw in the fucking _movies._ It was an inch thick. He estimated about $20,000. Probably more.

"Holy fucking shit…" He muttered to himself, stroking the edge of the money before thrusting it back into the envelope and feeling around for anything else. A pause and he pulled out a much thinner piece of paper, plain white and with a cursive, black pen adorning the surface of it. On closer inspection, he saw that the writing was sticking straight up and looked very formal.

Well. That definitely ruled out the possibility of Moneybags. And he knew that Otogi usually wrote simply, with loops in the y's and curly o's. And he knew none of his friends had this much money. The school wouldn't raise any money for him, because, hello, his father was a fucking molester, why would they give his kid this much money?

Quickly ending his contemplating on who-done-it, the blonde looked closely at the writing as he read.

_"I know I shouldn't be giving this to you, but I know you need it. Use it however you wish, for bailing your father out of jail or buying yourself a good home._

_Take care, Jounouchi Katsuya."_

Unsigned, of course. If he knew who had given him this money, hell, he'd do anything for the person. Even fucking 'sexual favors' (a quick picture of Mae when he thought this, and he reminded himself to call her later)!

He quickly shoved the envelope with the money into the very back of his locker and shared a secret grin with himself, grabbing his shoes and books and whatever else he need, and slamming the metal door closed.

Never mind Tuesday mornings sucking. They were fucking awesome!

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Hoisting himself up onto the top of the roof that was over the door, Jou sighed and scooted closer to the edge to look down over the school fence.

He took a second to admire the beautiful view before dropping his backpack and laying his head on it, resting his arms above him and stretching languidly.

It was too nice a day to be stuck inside, eating lunch. He didn't even have a lunch, for that matter. Plus, he was still slightly mad at Honda, even though the boy had saved him (even though he hadn't asked said boy this yet). It would be annoying to sit at the same table as him while the brunette tried apologizing with his stare.

Because… C'mon. He had a right to be mad! What Honda had said was unacceptable by any standard! So damned personal too. What kinda guy said something like that out loud to everyone?

Come to think of it, actually… This was the first time since he knew Honda (or remembered), that he had been mad at him for this long. Then again, all the reasons he'd been mad at him before had _not_ been that personal or secretive. Honda didn't go around and blab stuff like that unless he had a moment of stupidity.

The blonde shrugged his quickly tangling web of thoughts and guilt off and half-closed his eyes, relaxing and trying to enjoy the puffy clouds floating in the perfect blue sky. Whatever. His loss. His own fault for bringing up such a touchy subject at the beginning of class. He still had the right to be angry.

The blonde teenager let out a happy sigh as the sun washed over him and shoved those depressing kind of thoughts out of his mind in place of happier ones.

For one, he had money, and a lot of it, now. Two, Seto Kaiba hadn't been here today. Three, his wound wasn't bugging him. And four… While, shit, a guy could be happy for no reason for once in his life, right!

He let his eyes drift the rest of the way closed and let his mind wander to other topics, not caring when he felt the irresistible call of sleep tugging at his subconscious. Naps were good. And if he had a Dream, who cared? It was-

_(- Icy blue eyes looked at him, burning through him as hands ran over his sides, roaming over the wound tenderly and stroking it with care before moving past it to his ribs -)_

-A perfect day that couldn't be ruined by Seto Kaiba, and that was the best kind of day… -

_(- Brown hair caught in his fingertips as he released a loud moan, arching into the touch of fingertips dancing over his abdomen and lower. Pleasure was all he could think of, and Kaiba was all he could feel -)_

-And when he got his dad out of jail, everything would be perfect again, whatever 'perfect' had been before…-

_( - Lips on his, devouring him whole and he sucked lightly on the tongue invading his mouth. Moaned when teeth lightly bit at his lips. Gasped when one hand wrapped around him and stroked teasingly-)_

- When he left here, it would be on an air of happiness because Seto Kaiba wouldn't be there and his father couldn't hold him back…-

_(- Something, his lover's finger, stroked his entrance and he pushed into the feeling of heavy pleasure it gave. After a moan, and there was Seto at his entrance, pushing in slowly and making him practically sob with joy -)_

- He'd pass this year. He knew he'd pass this year. He'd be in the last 50, sure, but he'd make it -

_(- Then they were slowly rocking together now, leaving him breathless with ecstasy will the man on top of him breathed in his scent. Deeper and deeper into the desire he fell until he let out a low cry, arching while calling his lover's name -)_

"…Seto…"

And then there was a loud bang from under him and he shot up, quickly falling back to lie down while he listened to the quiet giggles and low laughter coming from the ground.

"Ah, Nano-chan, you're so beautiful!"

"Oh, Keiji-kun, you're making me blush!"

"It's so true though, Nano-chan! You look like Utada Hikaru!"

"Keiji-kun!"

A quiet giggle and he decided to take a curious peek. Turning over onto his stomach, he scooted up until he could barely see the couple over the room of the stair roof.

Keiji (or what he guessed was Keiji, because that _was_ a boy's name) had his arms wrapped around what was probably 'Nano-chan's' waist. They were looking at each other in adoration, Keiji grinning like a fool while Nano giggled every few second.

He took a few more seconds of looking at the two before scooting back down the small roof, resting in the position he had been in before.

The blonde stared up at the still-blue sky as he tried to ignore the happy giggles and laughs coming from the couple, and instead tried focusing on the feeling that had suddenly grew in his stomach and made him feel sick.

He wondered what he was feeling but he shrugged it off and turned over onto his side, closing his eyes and concentrating harder on blocking the noises and thinking of homework and work in general.

The brown-eyed boy started drifting off and yawned, finally giving into the sounds of a couple.

Before he drifted over for the second, he had a sudden flash of enlightenment and finally managed to pinpoint the feelings that were making him feel sick.

_' Envy and Loneliness…'_

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"JOU! JOU!"

The blonde ignored his name being called out and continued walking down the street (albeit a little slower then before), hands shoved deep in his pockets as he walked. He was hoping to God that his friend would give up, _just this once_, but…

Of course not.

"Jou!"

Ah. Honda was right behind him. Stepping-on-his-heels behind him. And practically yelling in his ear.

"What! Don't yell man, I'm not deaf ya know." He scowled, trying to turn away from the worried-looking brunette. He could sense the flinch of the other when he turned his back on him and started walking again, and he scowled at his own actions.

What kind of friend was he? Turning his back on a guy trying to apologize! A guy that had been with him since, what, kindergarten gang-ups? Plus, this guy had saved him from bleeding to death!

Just as he was about to turn around and apologize, he heard something that made him freeze-up and caused his mind to shut down.

"Well, shit, Jounouchi, it's not the end of the world since you're pops molested those girl, for fuck's sake!"

He whirled around awkwardly, feet practically catching on each other as his brown eyes widened. It took him a second before he even realized that what Honda said _hadn't_ been an illusion, and the real thing. By the time he figured that out, a few people had stopped to stare and whisper.

He did the only thing he could think of.

By the time he had comprehended what he had done, the brunette was lying on the ground and staring up in surprise at the blonde, whose fist was still posed in the air from the punch he had delivered to his '_friend'._

They stared at each other until the blonde scowled and turned away, giving his friend a sideways glare.

"If you even talk about my Pop _one_ more time, Hiroto, I won't be there to save your ass when you piss off some gang leader."

Not directly saying he'd never be his friend again, but… While, saying he wouldn't be there.

Which is what Jou wanted to be at the moment. Not there.

So he followed his instinct and walked away until he was at the nearest alley, turning into it and walking a little.

And then he ran.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Well, that was quite a short chapter XD;. Only around 3000 words, and hardly then barely… Plus a lot of scene changes…

And the (-) WERE FLASHES OF DREAMS, to tell you all who didn't get it.

Damn, that sucks XD. Oh well. Short chapter and all….

BEWARE, for the _real_ drama starts next chapter XP!

LEAVE ME 100 REVIEWS IF YOU WANT THIS STORY TO GO ON!

…

Just joking XD.


	11. Actions

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

**WARNING**: This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi hinting. Meaning boyxboy shit. Fuck off if you find it offensive.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O- Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one's a dream and which one's real, right?

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! I will now not give personalized reviews, because this story has reached over 100 reviews (ALMOST 200!), on this site and others! Thank you for supporting me despite the lack of updates!

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 11**

_Dreams are answers to questions we haven't yet figured out how to ask. _

_-X-Files_

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

'_Ring ring…'_

He blinked away the sound and tried turning over, then realized he was propped against the wall.

_'Ring ring…'_

Grunted as he brought his knees up and lay his head down on them, trying his best to ignore the sound of the ringing phone. Shit, was Dad too hang over to answer the damned thing? He wasn't about to break open the door and answer it for him…

_'Ring ring…'_

The blonde sighed and stretched out his legs, waving away the pleasant but uncomfortable sleep that had found him. Dad wouldn't get it now. Too many rings. Who let the phone ring that many times?

_'Ring ring…'_

Without realizing what he had been doing, he grabbed the cordless phone from under the shop desk and clicked the 'answer button', pausing before giving a gruff "Hello, Jounouchi residence?"

"Is this Jounouchi-kun?"

"Yeah, this is." Screw manners in the morning. He was tired and sore and cranky. "What do you need?"

"This is Benachi Sakura. I've called to tell you some bad news."

Benachi Sakura?

He tried to trace the name through his mind and came up with nothing, even thinking of people his friends knew who he had met once or twice. Mea and Fuji had been the only ones he hadn't met any friends of, and…

Oh shit. Her.

"Benachi-san? Wha' happen'd now?" He was still to sleepy to be polite and keep the accent out of his voice, which was slipping quietly into his words as he spoke into the phone. "Somethin' bad?"

"Yes, something bad." She seemed slightly annoyed at him, but he shrugged it off. What was it, 5 in the morning? She was probably just pissy from lack of sleep. "Mea Tenako has been missing since yesterday evening."

"Ok… What!" The groggy boy was suddenly shot from his half-asleep state, eyes widening as he took in what she had just said. "She's missing!"

"Yes, she's been missing since yesterday." She repeated, and her voice was a lot less annoyed then before. Even worried. "7:00 pm was the last time anyone seen here, and that was her boyfriend."

"Her boy-" He briefly remembered that she was only being paid to play girlfriend, and he nodded as if the woman on the other line could see him. "Really?"

"Yes. I'll be calling you regularly to update you on her progress, alright?"

"Alright…" He expected her to hang up right about now, but an awkward buzzing still connected them until he heard a sigh on her end, and he tensed for more bad news.

"I'm sorry, Jounouchi-kun, but the charges are still being pressed because she has not done anything to drop them yet. She has not even written down a request to drop the charges. You're father's case will still be held on the 15th, due to the fact that the other woman is still pressing charges, and Mea's case has been moved forward until further notice."

He gaped at the phone as if it had just said something blasphemous to him, taking a few seconds to think. He had completely forgotten about the other woman that had been molested! And now that Mea was missing…

He took another few seconds before answering. "Alright. Thank you Benachi-san. I'll talk to you later, but I have to get ready for school now."

"Jounouchi-kun, will you be alright?" She sounded genuinely worried, but he ignored this as best he could. She'd be gone after all this was over. Just like everybody else.

He took a few seconds before opening his mouth and frowning. He sighed, and finally told her the truth for the short time he had known her. "Truthfully? I don't know Benachi-san."

"Jounouchi-kun, pl-"

"Goodbye, Benachi-san."

He promptly hung up on the stuttering women and looked at the phone before he threw it at the shop desk as hard as he could.

For the first time since all this had happened, Jou laid his head on his knees and tried not to cry.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Jou! JOU! JOU, wait up!"

Someone down the street was yelling his name again, and he wish they would just _shut up._

Instead of saying that, however, he did what he was doing best these days: ignoring his friends.

A little voice inside of him was telling him that, yes, he was being a fucking bastard and he shouldn't act so ill-tempered towards his friends, the ones he had been with through thick and thin. Through real monsters and soul-stealing duelists. Fuck, even through Junior high for one of them.

On the other hand, his little shoulder demon was telling him that they wouldn't understand what was happening, and that they should be kept away for their own sake. He'd only drive them away faster by snapping at them instead of ignoring them, right?

For this morning, he was agreeing with his little demon friend.

"Jou, hey, why didn't you stop?"

When he had been thinking, he guessed they had somehow sneaked up on him. Even though they were three city blocks away.

"Oh? You guys were calling me? Didn't hear ya, I guess." He lied through his teeth, and decided that he shouldn't be _totally_ pushing them away.

Little demon friend was fuming while the little voice of reason inside of him was throwing confetti about.

"Yeah! I guess you wouldn't of heard us." Yugi smiled, huffing lightly. Anzu just smiled along, so did Ryou, and Honda…

Well, he avoided looking at Honda.

While he was trying to avoid looking at said brunette, Ryou asked the blonde a simple question that didn't require him to do much thinking. "Jou, did you get your homework done last night?"

"Uh… Yeah, half of it, 'least.."

"Oh, really? What didn't you finish?" Anzu, innocently questioning.

"Math and English."

"You wanna copy my math answers, Jou?" Yugi, happily offering.

"Sure, when we get to school. Thanks."

"Uh… I'm in your English, Jou… I'll let you copy what I got." Honda trying to make an effort.

"Ok, Thanks." Shit, if they asked one more question, or asked to help him like he was a fucking pity case...

They were all quiet for a few minutes before Honda spoke awkwardly again, voice rough. "Uh, Jou, you forgot the notes from Monday, do you wa-"

Oh, that was it.

Whirling around on all four of them, he took a step back and glared, pausing to let their startled looks pass a little before he finally yelled, voice full of frustration, accusation, and anger. "Look. I am _not_ going to be a fucking drop-out, because of what my fucking father did, nor will I _ever_ be. You do not have to give me answers. You do not have to ask me to copy your notes. Most of all, you don't have to fucking worry about me like I'm a fucking _child._"

They all blinked at him stupidly for a whole minute before one of them recovered, eyes filling with a rage that reminded him of… Well, his dad when he got angry at him.

"Katsuya Jounouchi! Why would you say something like that to your _friends_ of all people? We were just trying to he-"

"There's helping too little , Anzu, and then there's helping too _much._ You all are in the 'much category' at the moment." He said this dryly and bitterly, the anger in his voice all but vanishing from his tone. "So, you guys, as friends, I'm going to ask you of something that I _do_ need: Leave me alone until this is all over, ok?"

Anzu lost her voice again and they were all still staring at him in disbelief, mouths gaping open comically and eyes wide.

He took the moments they were getting their thoughts together and smiled sweetly, the effect lost by the cruel intention in his face. "Good? Ok. Bye bye for a week or so."

And with that, he twirled on his heel and walked, not ran, as fast as he could away from his friends.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Lunch again found him on the rooftop, alone and with out a lunch to keep him company.

Actually, the only thing keeping him company at the moment was the sky, his stormy thoughts, and a smaller pile of money than from yesterday. No note this time.

He sighed as he stroked his thumb against the edge of the money, taking pleasure in the feel on each individual bill sliding against the tip of it. He estimated about $15,000 this time. A lot less then the other pile. The other pile had been, in all actuality, $50,000. He practically had an epileptic fit when he counted it all.

He could hardly believe anyone would give him this much fucking money. Otogi wouldn't, and would say something about his old man deserving to rot in jail for that.

The brown-eyed duelist only knew this because, one, Otogi was a lover of ladies, and two. he had been at his apartment once (he didn't know _why _it was an apartment, either). Another molester had been on TV, and he had scowled and shut it off, declaring that people like that should be rounded up and drowned. A little harsh, he remembered thinking, but…

Shit, he couldn't have agreed anyway. His Pop had done this before.

And Seto Kaiba?

He could bust a gut laughing at the possibility of this. The day Kaiba did that for him would be the day Jou's dreams came true. He knew there was no way of _that_ happening. He wouldn't let it happen! Kaiba was a pompous, stuck-up, arrogant, self-centered, ugly son of a bit-

"Hm? Puppy isn't following his friend's around, waiting for scraps?"

Speak of the devil. Really. Kaiba was like the fucking devil in his eyes at the moment, for many, _many_ reasons.

So, why not go the same old, boring path he usually did with the guys that pissed him off?

"Fuck off, moneybags. I'm not in the mood." He refrained from hiding his money to show it off, for once. When had he ever shown off money before? Against Kaiba, sure, this was a measly amount! But to him, it was big. And Kaiba would be surprised that he had this much money. He was 'a poor mutt', after all.

He laid the money across his chest, closed his eyes, and waited for Kaiba to say something, if anything, about it.

While, he didn't have to wait long for Kaiba to say something. He had to wait until he felt his money _being took _out of his hands

"_Hey!_ You fucking bastard, give that back!" The blonde shot up and struggled to get up, almost tripping off of the bench in his attempt to stand straight.

The brunette was running his thumb across the money like he had been doing, and he made a little note to himself to never, ever do that habit again. He didn't care if he had to chop both of his thumbs off. He wouldn't do it again.

"$18,000."

"What! Give it back, you asshole!"

"How did you come into possession of this small fortune, pup? Must have took a lot of begging to drag this much pity from the pockets of Japan." The blue-eyed teen smirked triumphantly and took advantage of his height by doing something Jou thought only sixth graders would do. Holding the money above his head.

"None of yer Goddamned business, you fucker!" He came right up to Kaiba and stretched his hand out, trying his hardest not to look at the smirking teen or get close enough for their chests to touch.

"Oh, I think it is. If you've been robbing banks… While, I have heard there have been plenty of robberies around the poor side of town…"

"I wouldn't do shit like that, you asshole. Give it back!"

"One never knows with poor, desperate people like you, Jounouchi…"

"Kaiba, I swear…"

"What, are you going to hit me? School fights aren't al-"

Wow. He actually managed to get a shot. Who cared if it was a dirty one? Kaiba should have been protecting his stomach.

Instead of looking surprised and angry, though, the other boy looked amused and a little out of breathe.

And he was still standing. With _his _money still held above his head.

"You asshole!"

"Dirty tricks, Jou? Resorting to low-life tactics? I thought you might have been a little better fighter than _that…_"

"Give. It. Back."

"Afraid you're turning into you're dad? Turning into a low-life scum who can't hold mo-"

He hit the guy again, this time in the jaw.

The brunette wheezed but continued, smirk still on his face, hand still high in the air, and still…

_Fuck._

"Can't even hurt me, mutt. Maybe you'll go after the girls, just like your fa-"

This time the other duelist's head snapped back from a hit to the eye, and the blonde was trying not to fucking jump on the bastard and _kill_ him.

"Getting weaker, Jou. Maybe you should go join your father, rot in jail, because you've obviously been steali-"

The brunette didn't even have time to say anything before Jou launched himself at him, tumbling them both over with the blonde coming out on top.

How did Kaiba still have the money in his hands?

He didn't care as he glared down at the blue-eyed CEO, who looked surprised and agitated for a split second until he smirked, as if he had won and had come out on top instead of Jounouchi himself. He opened his mouth to say something, and-

Jou hit him, square in the jaw.

"Shut." He hit him again.

"Up." Punched his other eye, the one he hadn't hit yet.

"You." Slugged him in the chin, which caused the back of Kaiba's head to bounce slightly on the ground.

"Fuckin'." Hit him in the nose, which made a sickening crunch sound that sent a satisfied jolt surging through him.

"Prick." This time, instead of hitting him, Jou grabbed the brunette's hair and clenched it in his grip, bringing his nose to brush against Kaiba's as he glared hatefully into the other's eyes.

He wasn't looking at Kaiba's bleeding nose, or scraped up chin, or blackening eyes. He wasn't listening to the ragged breathing of the other, or letting go of the hair already tugged out from his rough grip, and instead grabbing more. All he was seeing was the other, still smirking lightly with the money still clenched in his hand, which was still above them.

"Look." He gave a vicious tug on the top duelist's hair, causing him to wince horribly. "You? You are fucking pissing me off. I don't need this from you, got it!"

He didn't let the other nod as brought his other hand up, leaned back, and punched him, again making his head crack painfully against the hard pavement of the roof.

"YOU. YOU have been fucking PISSING ME OFF." God, he wasn't going to cry or scream or anything. "YOU think you had a FUCKING terrible life before, with your adoptive daddy, right KAIBA-BOY?"

He punched the other boy again, this time in the mouth. He thought he felt teeth underneath his knuckles, but he ignored it.

Kaiba was still… well, not smirking, but not grimacing either. Which served to piss him off more, sending him into somewhere he knew he couldn't come back from if he stepped over the boundary.

He couldn't help it when he did.

"YOU, KAIBA, haven't dealt with a DAD that fucking beat you when he got too drunk or too high, because Dad's don't do that, right! You, Kaiba, haven't had to lie to your friends when you have a bruise or two from a fight or your own father, and said you fell down the stairs, have you! YOU, KAIBA, have had to worry about grades instead of worrying about when you're gonna be kicked out of your shitty apartment since you're dad is too loud, right!

He felt his mind going loose and his mouth looser as he continued screaming, voice raising an octave as he hit the brunette again.

"YOU, KAIBA, didn't have to huddle under a blanket as your mummy and daddy fought, hugging you're sister and trying to keep her quiet so daddy FUCKING dearest would come in and use you or her as a shield! YOU, KAIBA, HAVEN'T SEEN YOUR SISTER TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU, OR YOU MUM LEAVE YOU WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE BECAUSE SHE HATED YOU!"

All the things he had bottled up over the years was coming out, and he couldn't stop it at _all_. He felt helpless as he pummeled Kaiba and let him hear his whole life story at the same time. It was as if he wasn't even in his body anymore.

He was yelling and hitting Kaiba's chest now, eyes squeezing shut to prevent tears from leaking as he relived the painful memories he had kept locked up in the back of mind ever since his hellish life began.

"YOU, KAIBA! You haven't had to deal with people looking at you IN DISGUST BECAUSE YOU'RE POOR AND FILTHY. YOU haven't had to look tough because that's the only way you can live on the streets! YOU HAVEN'T HAD TO DO THINGS YOU DIDN'T WANT TO DO, because YOU HAD TO MAKE ENDS MEET."

He was crying now, the tears leaking past his eyelids, yet he didn't care anymore. He was too lost in his confession to his enemy to care.

"HAVE YOU EVER had to flirt with OLD men at a bar to get money! At age 12! Have you ever dealt with being touched by your daddy's friends as they came over and 'visited' him, at age 10! Have you EVER had to jump a 10-yearr-old kid to get food after four days without it! HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO WATCH A RAPE so YOU wouldn't be raped yourself!"

His hits were getting weaker and his yelling less coherent, and he didn't know what Kaiba was doing, but he was doing something no one had ever done for him before.

_Listening_.

"Have you watched your dad fall into depression and drink your money away? Have you ever had to tend to him when he overdosed because you couldn't go to the hospital, because it's so fucking expensive and they wouldn't do shit for him anyway! Have you ever had to sell drugs because you needed to pay rent for a less-than-shit apartment where a girl gets raped next door, every Saturday at 12:00 EXACTLY!"

His voice was a lot less coherent now, almost just bawling, and he was practically whispering, practically curled up on the blue-eyed teen and practically wishing to die.

"Have you been taken into a police station and sneered at, because you're just another punk without a future? Have you ever have to take the back alleys because the police stop and search you, even if you're just walking home from the grocery store? Have you ever been woken up by a call, saying that you have to come get you're dad down at the station or bar because he's too drunk? Have you ever been shot? Have you ever shot anyone?"

He let out a heart-wrenching sob and clutched at his side, reveling in the burst of pain that greeted him and almost thankful for it.

"Have you worried about everything I did, Kaiba? Because if you did, I'm not alone for fucking once in my life!"

There. His biggest confession: Not wanting to be alone in his pain. Because misery loved company, right?

He was the definition of misery.

Another heart wrenching sob and he laid his forehead on Kaiba's chest, sobbing and trying his best to keep his sentences clear. "You don't know how it is Kaiba, coming home everyday and seeing your dad on the couch, out of his mind. Because fuck, I still love my dad, and my mum, even though they've all but fucking abandoned me! Have you been abandoned, ever, and told it's because they hated you or they don't want you anymore!"

"It's so fucking hard, Kaiba. Living. I'm a fucking miracle because I live with this every. Single. Fucking. Day."

He let out another sob and brought his hands to his chest, not caring if he was on top of the man of his dreams or crying in front of the man who had ridiculed him every day since he had met him.

Kaiba was still and not speaking, and he took it as his cue to be as quiet as he could and sob the rest of his tears out.

They could have laid there for days, for all he cared. Him curled on his chest and Kaiba just lying there, not making a sound and breathing steadily.

The only thing he noticed through his soft crying was the steady rise and fall of the chest beneath him, and all of his thoughts slowed to a stop as he concentrated on that and only that.

A few minutes later and he was calm, breathing at the exact same pace Kaiba was and, for once, not thinking depressing thoughts on the school's rooftop.

The warning bell rang, and neither of them moved and opted to stay there, silently and breathing at the same pace.

What could have been hours later, but could have been only two minutes after the bell, was when Jou finally lifted his head up and crossed his arms across his chest, keeping his head bowed so his ragged hair covered his face.

He couldn't think of anything to say. At all. What kind of things did you say in these kind of situations? 'Thanks for listening, sorry for beating you up, have a nice day!'?

It took him a few minutes to think of anything to say, and it was more of a weak attempt at humor/ice breaker than an apology or thanks.

"Man, I bet we both feel like shit at the moment."

He felt and heard the snort that resulted from this, and he took a second to look up (if only a little) to give the other a weak grin.

Something was shoved in his face, and he took a moment to blink before hastily grabbing the pile of green paper that had started the big fight/confession-on-his-part in the first place.

Kaiba shifted and he was suddenly sitting in the brunette's lap more than on his stomach, the blue-eyed CEO leaning back on his two hands as Jou continued to stare down.

At what might have not been a good place.

He quickly jerked his eyes up so that they would be staring at a more appropriate spot (Kaiba's chest), before he realized that _that_could also bring up images he'd rather not have right now.

The blonde decided to look to the side instead of at the brunette.

Now what were you supposed to do, sitting in your enemy's lap, after beating up said enemy and confessing your life story to such a person? He couldn't think of anything, and he prayed to any God available that they beam him down an intelligent thought or phrase to say.

Needless to say, none came and they sat awkwardly in the silence on the rooftop.

The first one to speak wasn't Jou, but Kaiba, and he was surprised as the other's voice came out kind of raspy from above him.

"You go downstairs and go home, get cleaned up. I'll wait awhile before going down."

The blonde had no clue what to say to this either.

He cursed the Gods instead of praying to them. Maybe reverse psychology would work?

He waited for any sign before sighing mentally. Nadda.

He put off a few more seconds before finally looking up, full frontal, at the brunette CEO that had been staring at him for an answer (for what was probably the past 3 minutes, 57 seconds, and 84 nanoseconds. Not that he was counting).

He took a second to stare into the blue eyes of Kaiba, who stared back just as equally and unwavering.

He took another second before his mind shut down and he leaned forward, clutching his money tight in his right hand while his left clutched at what he realized was Kaiba's school jacket.

It wasn't even a good kiss; just lips on lips. Both of them were unresponsive as they leaned together, the only contact he was aware of was the single act they were doing.

Kissing.

_Kissing._

In the moment it took him to comprehend what he had been doing, the blonde had pulled back and was staring back into the equally surprised eyes of the young CEO.

A few more moments to realize that he had finally pulled back and he felt his face turning the horrible red color you only heard of in books.

He shot off the brunette, landing on his ass at the abrupt launch backwards, still staring at the brunette through out.

_Goddamnit_, why had he had to kiss Kaiba!

His mouth was babbling before his mind caught up, and he cursed his automatic act-before-think switch. "Uh, Ya, that'll be fine, thanks Kaiba!"

By the time he had said the last part, he was already up on his feet and turning the corner to get to the door, giving the young CEO an awkward wave. "Uh, now, BYE!"

In the instant it took him to give the other teen a proper farewell, he had already wrenched open the door and had been running down the stairs as fast as his jelly-legs could carry him.

He was getting _really _good at running away.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

_Fuck_ Wednesdays. Fuck them to the seventh circle of _hell._

And fuck downtown, too. When did it get so big?

And he was not thinking about Seto Kaiba right now. Hell no. Fuck him to the seventh _hundred_ circle of hell, if there was such a thing.

… But off the topic of Seto Kaiba.

…

There was nothing _but_ Seto Kaiba to think about.

He hummed a song Shizuka had taught him as he started taking his school shirt off, kicking his shoes off at the same time, as well as trying to think of something to think about.

School was on his don't-think-about-outside-of-it things. And, to think about it, it was about the only thing he could think about that wasn't depressing.

He shook his foot to get the pant leg off and thought long and hard about what he had for homework, how assohole-ish (most of) his teachers were, how stupid classes were getting lately, and how English was the most retarded language on this earth. He bet Kaiba could read and write a book in perfect English, then sell it so it'd make a hundred million, the fucking bastard.

The blonde shoved his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers to keep from hitting himself for _that_ one.

Ok. New subject.

… Work! Work was a good/bad thing. Good because he got money, bad because he had to get up early in the mornings.

He grinned and closed the bathroom door with his foot, rummaging around under the sink for a semi-good towel. Yeah. Work was a safe topic.

He threw it on the toilet and thought of another bad thing about work: Yugi was at work. And he had yelled at Yugi today to leave him alone. Which would leave him in an awkward situation with said friend, of they were alone together in the shop. What was he supposed to say? 'Oh, sorry about that, can you open the door so I can go to work?'?

Sure, Yug' would open the door happily, but he'd be all… shy and apologetic. As if it was his fault! It was his own damned fault for being so snappish lately.

He turned on the water and waited for it to warm, deciding that he would talk to the shorter duelist tomorrow and apologize to him. As well as the rest of his friends. Maybe even Honda.

The teen duelist turned on the shower spray and stepped under, frowning. Thoughts about work were going down the depressing road, and he was drifting off topic.

Work… He worked on… Saturdays at 9:00 in the morning… To 6:00 pm… What had happened at 5:30 was Kaiba coming in and staring at him… And…

His hand twitched as he immediately blocked off those thoughts, giving his head a shake to get the water flowing through. BAD thoughts. NO Kaiba. His head was strictly a No-Kaiba zone. Unless he was asleep. Then that money-grubbing bastard seemed to frolic in every corner of his fucking mind.

… New Topic.

Dad. Dad was in jail or the Penitentiary. Pop was probably having fun being raped by some old, gay, cross-dressing guy. Wasn't what they usually did in prison? Rape each other senseless?

He bet five dollars Kaiba was gay. Gay-as-Elton-John gay. Totally gay. Fucked-men-up-the-ass gay. Fucked _him_ up th-

The blonde slapped a palm to his forehead and shut off the water to preserve the heat, grabbing the two-in-one shampoo and squirting a whole load of it onto his hand.

His thoughts kept on coming back to Kaiba, the bastard. Which meant new topic.

Two topics and a thoroughly scrubbed head of hair later, he sighed and bent down to turn on the hot water. Nothing was working. It always seemed to come back to Kaiba. Kind of like math.

HurtHospitalBrunetteHondaKaiba being a brunette too. Fuji did not say the name of the guy that had saved him. Shit, he hoped to anything and anyone it was Honda.

Then the winning combination of FoodSweetChocolate+StrawberriesKaiba. He hadn't even _known_ where that one had come from.

Then, lastly, SchoolSleepDreamsKaibaHim and Kaiba doing the nasty.

The tall teen's hand twitched again as a sudden slide show of images, of him and Kaiba in certain positions, came to him.

Stupid fucking piece of shit he called a mind. It was working against him.

Speaking of which, he felt his body temperature rise _just_ a little.

Was everything working against him today!

Unbidden, the feeling of Kaiba's lips on his suddenly overwhelmed him and he made a choked sound in the back of his throat, pushing a palm against the wall and shivering despite the still warm water.

Kaiba's lips had been only a bit chapped. Not overly, but not as soft as a girl's. And he had tasted like coffee and ice cream. And…

He shivered again and brought his other hand to his stomach, clenching it in a fist.

…And Kaiba was a good kisser. He could tell by that much. The soft pressure of his lips hadn't been forceful or too vulnerable and it was like a lover's kiss. And…

The blonde let out a small gasp as his hand went lower on it's own, fingers coming to rest in the curly hair on his abdomen.

…And he wondered what Kaiba's lips would feel lie, forceful and dominant on his own, taking control and handling him with the utmost care and haste at the same time. Kaiba kissing his neck, licking that place near his ear, under his chin…

The fingers curled tentatively around the base of his half-hard cock and he stroked it with his thumb lightly, giving into the small pleasure it gave him.

… On his collarbone, biting lightly and leaving marks, sucking there and moving slowly done to his nipples. A tongue playing over it teasingly and he would let out a small gasp of need…

His whole hand slowly went up to the tip of his cock and he rubbed his fingers around it, gasping and arching into the hand and shying away from it at the same time.

… Kaiba's mouth, those slightly chapped lips on his stomach, whispering words and things that would make virgins blush…

He stumbled slightly forward and caught himself by putting his forearm on the wall, resting his head against it. He whimpered again as his hand moved around his member, which was now fully hard.

… The brunette nuzzling his dick, mouthing it lightly and sending self-satisfied eyes his way. One hand caressing his balls while the other held down his hips, preventing him from bucking up and making him cry at the slight loss of freedom…

Slowly, he began a rhythm, stroking slowly up and down his shaft as he gasped and curled into the sensation. He felt the heat in his stomach burning him up, making him want more of the feeling, and the blonde whimpered.

… Those slightly chapped lips closing around him, teasingly at the end and slowly sliding down, making him shiver and gasp and moan in the greatest of pleasures…

He pressed his fingers, hard, against himself, speeding up as he thought of Kaiba's mouth around him, swallowing him, making him…

"Oh God… Kaiba…" He whimpered as the heat cured around him and he almost buckled under the weight of the heavy ecstasy that hit him, his climax shooting out over his hand and mixing with the water droplets that were on his skin and the water still raining down on him.

The tall blonde didn't even notice the fact that the water had turned cold long ago, too busy staring at the cum that was gradually slipping off his hand and mixing with the water.

He stared and then slammed his hand into the wall, turning off the water after washing it and stepping out with out grabbing the towel first.

He fucking _hated _Wednesdays

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

That night, Jou had no dreams.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

GAH. THE ENDING KINDA SUCKED.

But all is good and well XD I don't think I pulled the solo scene off that well, actually…. But… Whatever X3!

AND GOOD/BAD NEWS: I have gotten a job. Which means slight fewer updates, but more money for yours truly XP! YAY!

Nothing else to say here, except I hoped you enjoyed X3!

And I DON't review! XD Tell me if reverse pyschology works, yes?


	12. Concern

Mmmmm. An update. Love it up people, It might be the last one for (another) long while X3!

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

**WARNING**: This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi hinting. Meaning boyxboy shit. Fuck off if you find it offensive.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O- Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one's a dream and which one's real, right?

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! I will now not give personalized reviews, because this story has reached over 100 reviews, only on this site now BECAUSE THE OTHER FUCKERS DELETED MY ACCOUNT! Thank you for supporting me despite the lack of updates X3!

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 12**

_Oh my life is changing everyday  
Every possible way  
Though my dreams, it's never quite as it seems  
Never quite as it seems _

I know I felt like this before  
But now I'm feeling it even more  
Because it came from you

_-Dreams by Cranberries_

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Jou-kun!"

_Knock knock._

He told himself to ignore it, turning over on the sofa and trying not to (and failing in the process) shiver. Fucking cold apartment.

"Joouuuuuuuuuu-kuuuuuun!"

_Knock knock knock._

Ignore it, he told himself, turning over again and burying his face in his pillow. It was stained with red and reeked of old blood. Pop was gonna kill him.

"JJJJJJJJJOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUU-KUN!"

_Knock knock bang bang BANG._

"Alright kid! Fuck, I'm coming!" Christ, kids could be persistent. Was he ever that persistent when he was a kid?

He had to give his dad some excuses for being an asshole, then.

Kicking off the thin sheet he had had for warmth for the night and grabbing the shirt that was on the back of the chair (that was supposed to be a Lazyboy, but looked more like something set on fire and thrown in the trash), he resisted the urge to shiver again and walked towards the door, grabbing the door knob and swinging it open.

He glared at the black-haired girl who was staring angrily up at him, face contorted into a frown. "You know you can break in, kid! Why bother to wake me up!"

"Because it's already seven, shit face! Geez, if you weren't so fucking hot, I swear…"

He paused awkwardly and then sighed, rubbing his hair. "You don't have to do that to me, Tohmy. You know I don't got any money, anyway, and you have to take some time off being a pro' an' all."

She sighed, more exaggerated then normal, and gave him a pout. "You know my Dad likes me to do that to everyone, Jou-kun! Now hurry up, it's almost seven!"

…When had he missed that part!

"Holy shit, are you serious!" His eyes widened and he darted frantically into his home, looking for a clock or any semblance of something that had the time. Giving up his search in the living room, he dashed into the kitchen to see if the stove clock was working.

…Shit. Electricity had been cut off. That was the only clock, too!

"Yeah, Jou-kun! See!" Sometime in between his panic and his running to the stove, she had followed him into the dingy residence and thrust her silver watch into his face, displaying the black numbers and handles proudly, as if it was the Holy Grail.

When had she been able to afford that? It was something like the rich kids at the public school would have! And…

He stared at it for a minute, at the hands, and then tried not to laugh loudly, rubbing her messy dark hair. "Shit, kid, that thing is'n even working'!"

"Oh? She frowned at this and brought it down, black eyes staring at it for a split second. Soon as the split second was over, her eyes darkened further and she let out a ferocious yell, stomping her foot angrily. "Fuck!"

"Watch your language."

"No, Cuz you don't!"

"I don't care. Watch it."

"Shut up!" Her lip trembled and she ripped the watch off, throwing it into the sweet oblivion that was his apartment.

It was most likely not to be found again.

"That's why those rich bastards gave it to me! Cuz' it was broken! I bet they're laughing at me right now!"

She sniffed and he let out a little chuckle, smoothing her hair back down so it was presentable. "Yes, that's why they gave it to you. They are bastards. So don't take any other things from them no more, k?"

She sniffed again and launched herself at him, hugging him tightly around the waist and almost knocking him over in the process. "Alright!"

He grinned and petted her hair again, mimicking the way he saw her mother once do it, in the park. Ironically, this was before she had come here, to the 'wrong side of the tracks'. He only remembered because the boys in his gang were eyeing the mother up and he had strictly said no. Children an' all.

"So, what have we learned today?"

"Shut up or I'll bite you."

"Wow. I almost forget you're in elementary school with that mature come back!"

"Shut up, Jou-kun! You're so mean! And you're too grown up, too!"

He laughed and ruffled her hair, messing it up again, and she stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at him.

"Alright kid. Since you woke me up so early, I'll walk you to school, how about that?"

"Ok… But, Jou?"

The blonde looked at her guilty face and looked at her suspiciously, separating them so they were at a arm's distance. She never said his name without the mean-spirited, unique-way-she-said-it, '-kun' added on unless she could help it. "What?"

She grinned cutely and turned a towards the door, taking a few footsteps until she was outside the door. She then took her backpack from where it was on the floor by the door, walking back to him and unzipping it slowly.

The blonde stared at the bag suspiciously but couldn't keep his curiosity from peeking, or his body from leaning forward to try and look into the bag.

Her demeanor seemed to change as she smiled nervously and finished unzipping it and thrust it in front of her face so all he could see was the top of her hair, and her next words were quiet. "Jou, can you take what's in the bag? I don't want daddy finding it and hurting mummy #5, ok? Please?"

The blonde stared at the object inside of the bag and paused for thought, then sighed and took the .9mm gun out of the bag. He flipped it in his hands and stared at her hair seriously. "Ya know he prolly has more."

"I hid them all where he wouldn't look, I swear!"

The brown-eyed boy paused again, glaring lightly at the gun and turning over his choices and consequences. If he was found with the gun, even if it was in his apartment and he was at school or somewhere, he'd probably be sent to a foster home. Or charged. Or something. Something bad, no doubt about is, since no good could come out of a _gun._

But her face was so damned _hopeful._ When had he gone from bad-ass to softie!

The blonde gave his thoughts another second before throwing them to the wind, shrugging coolly and nonchalantly. "Fine. I'll just blame it on Pops if the police find it and say I hid it from _him._"

"Thank you, Jouuuuu."

"Whatever, Tohmy." He lifted up the cushion of the couch and threw it under, not giving it anymore thought. "Now, just let me get my shit ready and we're outta here."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Damn it.

Damn Mary Poppins' and all of her fucking _penguins._

Go to school early since you're up early, he thought to himself. You could get your homework done! Get help from the teachers! Learn the rest of the fan-fucking-tastic English language!

Christ.

He might have paid attention to the detail that one of his friends might be here early. Specifically, _Honda_ being here early.

They stared at each other uncertainly, Honda looking embarrassed and panicked, Jou eyeing him and weighing the possibilities of what he could and could not do. Could he walk away without saying anything but lose a friend? Or should he just sit down and ignore the other? Or even (insert gasp here) talk to the other!

While he contemplated this, the brunette had somehow managed to sneak a few feet forward so that they were all but 5 feet away from each other.

Damn his lack of attention.

"Um, Jou?"

Well, he couldn't really ignore his friend _now._ That was a guaranteed way of going on the road to losing a friend. If he even still _had _one in the brunet.

"What, Honda?" Don't glare.

… Damn him. He couldn't help it if he was still a little touchy.

The other teen looked slightly put off by his grouchy look and gave the signal of backing up and off. The blonde glared harder to encourage the action.

Something happened and Honda seemed to… gain something. Like a backbone.

The other boy straightened up and looked him straight in the eye (or as best he could, since the blonde was now avoiding looking at _him_), and waited a few more seconds before speaking.

"You know that I didn't mean to blurt that out, man."

There was an awkward pause, and when Jou made no move to speak, the brunet continued talking.

"Like, shit, man… I know I was supposed to keep thatta secret! But he did this before, and I'm so damned sick of watchin' you get hurt by your dad that way! It hurts me, too, man, and I always have to make excuses to our friends when you come up bloody or bruised, 'cuz I know you dun wanna drag them into that kinda world!"

Honda's accent, he noticed, only came out when he was riled up.

And, damn it, Honda was presenting a good point, and making him feel like he was blind and finally seeing the light.

Oblivious to his changing features, the brunet kept on speaking, eyes blazing. "It hurts ta see you like this, ya know? Depressed and angry and pissed off? It's like yer half dead, man, and I can't help at all! It's fuckin' frustratin'!"

The young duelist nodded slowly and Honda didn't seem like he was going to stop, to caught up in his tirade.

"And I'm sick of it, man! Why can't you just tell me at least some shit that's goin' on so I can help! It seems like you'd go ta Seto fucking Kaiba before you came to me now!"

He almost laughed but chose not too. Honda didn't have to know about that little incident. Shit, _he _didn't want to know about that little incident.

While he was contemplating, he hadn't noticed that the other teen had edged up closer until the second he felt arms wrap around him tightly, enveloping him in a warm embrace.

"See, man, I'm not gonna hurt ya, and I'm sorry, and I'll understand if you just tell me some shit, ok? I'm your friend, and friends help each other, right? So help me _understand_!"

The brunette was whispering now, Jou paralyzed under his arms and confused on what to do.

He hadn't been hugged like this in a long time. Once, in his dreams. One of the few non-sexual ones.

The blonde refused the urge to shake his head and stood there, staring out of the window at the gray sky.

Honda wasn't trying to be an asshole, and he was sorry. He hadn't meant too, right? He'd saved his life too. And… Shit, why did he have to be such an asshole to all of his friends!

The blond felt frustration rise up in his stomach and pushed it forcibly down, instead raising an arm to wrap around the silent brunet's shoulders.

He spoke and his voice was soft, a little pain seeping into it. "Ok, Honda. I'm sorry too, for bein' such an asshole."

The teen felt a nod against his shoulder and he let out a shaky laugh before speaking again. "But, I need to do some shit on my own before I tell ya anything, alright? Can ya tell Yug' and the others I'm sorry, too? I just need some time away from everyone, ok? Can ya do that for me, Honda? Early Christmas present and all?"

Honda laughed and Jou squeezed his shoulders before gently pushing him away, trying not to let his bright smile quiver from where it had taken a stand on his face. "OK, Honda, I'm gonna do homework in the library. See ya later."

The other boy nodded slowly and raised a hand, grinning, and Jou grinned wider and nodded.

"Seeya around, man."

"Seeya."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

His eyes were closing, and he tried not to let them, but it was just before lunch, and…

_There was red, all red…_

God, he was tired.

The blonde gave up and fell into the sleep that was pulling him along, giving into the images that were haunting his closed eyelids.

_His hands were flinging around and he was laughing, bare feet stepping in something that crunched and crackled and made delightful sounds. He knew he was dancing to A Music and he was happy for some reason, but he didn't know what reason that could ever be._

_He didn't look back at the body of a man that resembled him, blonde hair limp and stubble blaring against his sagging face, the broken beer bottle stuck in his throat, intestines shaped like a broken heart, bones like a broken house…_

_He let out a loud, vibrating moan. Shrieking and found himself bound, being beaten by endless whips, someone calling him the Messiah's analogous…_

_There was laughter and voices and screams, all calling his names and he sobbed, sobbed for help and death and drowning, murder and mourning…_

He felt something rip out of his throat and he shot up, slamming his fists into his eyes and clenching his teeth to keep the scream of _'let_ _me go please help_'from coming out of him.

When he realized that he had complete control over his body, he let out a shaky breath and buried his fists into his eyes further, bringing his knees up to his chest and leaned forward instead of backwards, onto the bookcase that he'd been resting against.

His breath was labored and he tried to keep it quiet, grinding his teeth so that was the only thing he heard. Not those screams. Not those shouts. Not that laughter.

The blonde felt a sob rising, trying to rip out of his throat, and he sucked in a sharp breath to stop it. His fists… He could feel the tiny crescent shaped marks he was giving himself through his fingernails, and he dug in harder to concentrate on it instead of something else.

What the fuck was that?

Why the fuck had he been… That image of his father! All those shadows and people and… Fuck!

With a loud cry, he grabbed the nearest thing he could get his hands on and chucked it at the wall opposite of him, making a seemingly loud bang ring through his ears and the corridors of books.

The only thing louder then it was his breathing and the sudden cough coming from the end of the aisle.

Quickly, eyes wide like a trapped animal, he turned his head towards the sound of the cough and almost died when he saw who it was.

Instead, he just stared at the guy.

Seto Fan-fucking-tastic Kaiba.

A few seconds of awkward pause before Jou finally got his surprise under control and anger out, voice snapping as he spoke. "How long have ya fuckin' been there!"

If he had been more sensible and controlled at the moment, he would have appreciated the completely flustered view of Kaiba looking away with his mouth set in a small frown, eyebrows creased and eyes not straying towards him.

What he did notice, however, was that Kaiba's face looked completely undamaged. As in look-at-me-I'm-perfect-looking-again unblemished.

Before he could even think about what he was saying, the angry tone from his voice disappeared completely to be replaced by a confused one. "What the fuck happened to your face?"

Silence for a few seconds before Kaiba made a sound of disbelief, finally looking over at him and scowling his usual scowl. "Usually, people ask that after you've been beaten up, not after you've fixed it."

"You got plastic surgery!"

"No, idiot." Kaiba walked over and bent down in front of him, dark blue eyes trained on Jou's brown ones as he scowled. "I _fixed _it."

As if showing a child what to do, Kaiba held up his thumb and promptly licked it.

This confused the hell out of Jou. As well as incredibly turning him on (and effectively turning him even further away from the dream he had).

Before he could even ask what the hell Kaiba was doing, or ask him if he could lick his fingers instead, his eyes followed where they were stuck on the thumb and watched as Kaiba swiped under his eye in one swift motion.

It took him a second to realize that there was a bluish tint under where Kaiba had swiped, and it took him a few seconds to realize what Kaiba was wearing.

"Make-up!"

"Yes. Make-up, Wheeler. I had no choice."

"But… Why Make-up!"

"I didn't have much of a choice. You're the one who… damaged my face, and the News would have had a field day with that fact."

He stared at Kaiba, realizing what the brunet was hinting towards.

Roof. Hitting. Confessing. _Kissing._

Wow wow wow, when had Kaiba gotten so close!

The blonde flattened himself against the bookcase and avoided his eyes this time, stumbling through his mind for a suitable… different-conversation starter.

It hit him in the head in the form of a book and he cursed, rubbing the spot which had gotten hit and glaring at Kaiba when he decided that not looking at the brunet wasn't going to make him go away. "Why the hell are you here, anyway? It's like you're stalkin' me, I swear!"

It looked like Kaiba was about to burst out laughing until he said this, then the taller boy seemed to deflate and gave him the cool Kaiba-stare. "I'm not stalking you. And I'm only here because I need to do some school work I've missed."

"Yeah, but… Why here? The libraries huge!"

The blue-eyed boy's stare faltered for a split second, and the blond congratulated himself mentally as he watched the genius Kaiba searching for a simple answer.

"You really want to know?"

What was Kaiba, stupid? "Of course I do, you prick!"

Another pause and the young CEO gave up, words blunt. "You were moaning in your sleep."

Silence.

"What? I was _moaning?_ Holy fu-"

"The librarians heard from downstairs, so did every other student in the vicinity."

"WHAT!"

"They came up here and were going to ask you to quiet down, but I was the nearest student near you and said you just bumped your head hard and blacked out after 5 minutes. I was supposed to take you to the nurse's room."

"… You're serious, aren't you."

"Have I ever joked with you? About anything?"

"…"

Jou looked like he was about to have an aneurysm while Kaiba looked like someone had just died.

It only lasted a few seconds before Jou snapped out of it, face red as he banged his head against the stack of books, eyes closed. The thumps were the only sound besides their breathing before Kaiba spoke, voice sighing.

"Stop doing that or you really will black out."

"A few blows to the head never did no harm!"

"Idiot."

"Wha-"

Suddenly, there was a hand between the wall and him and his head ended up thumping into it and resting there, the long fingers comfortably fitting into his blond strands.

The young duelist froze up, taking the seconds to bathe in the feeling before he opened his eyes to look at the blue eyes staring intently at him.

The hand moved from behind his head and up, the feeling of hard books pressing into his head again ignored as fingers slid over his head, palm against his temple…

Then he cringed and softly swore when one finger pressed down on the spot where the book had hit his head, gaze turning into a glower at the nice-turned-rough treatment that Kaiba was giving him.

"Hey, that hurt, you fucking bastard!"

"I'd go get that checked out, just in case."

And with nothing more then a nod _or _a kiss (which Jounouchi had been expecting in the back of his mind), Kaiba stood from his crouching position and walked the opposite way he had come, only pausing to give a small wave and a quiet "Seeyou." before walking away, his boots echoing in the quiet library.

He stared after the brunet before cursing both of them, curling his knees up after toeing the book he had thrown towards him.

Were all the men in his life gonna disappear like that?

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Katsuya Jounouchi, come to the office please, Katsuya Jounouchi, come to the office."

At the crackly voice over the intercom, a loud 'ooooh' rang through out the classroom and Mr.Yuriko slapped his hand on the desk until he got everyone's attention back. "Ok, ok class, he isn't being executed! We got rid of that form of punishment a long time ago."

A few titters rang out in the class and Jou grinned, standing up and saluting the skinny teacher. "That's the only way you could get rid of me, Yuriko-sensei!"

"Yeah yeah, now go before I bring it up in the next staff meeting."

"Alrighty then! Bye bye class! Don't miss me!"

A few giggles and he strutted out, grinning happily, and the last thing he heard was Mr.Yuriko's voice saying "Ok, anyone care to tell me _when _execution was banned?"

He was in a good mood. For no reason at all.

Ok, maybe it was because he hadn't gotten a hard-on today. Or that Kaiba was acting civil at lunch. Sure, he missed said lunch, skipped breakfast that day too, but he was fine! It was last period, and who cared if he skipped the next 45 minutes? It was just History!

His footsteps and thoughts were fast so that when he arrived in the office, the blond swore he could've just been in the class a moment ago.

The brown-eyed boy shrugged it off and sat down, kicking his legs out. Moments, seconds, whatever. He was going to skip the rest of last anyway.

Just was he was about to get more comfortable, his name was called by the secretary and she motioned to the office.

He was getting really comfy, too.

Sighing, he got up and trudged to what was inevitably his doom, and once inside the office, noticed that there were three people in the room.

One was Mr.Yaminako, of course. He was the principal, after all.

One was a women he had never seen before. Kind of pretty, if you looked past the huge nose and tight lips.

The third was someone he wished he wouldn't ever see again.

"Mrs. Sakura? Mr.Yaminako? Uhh… Lady? What's going on?"

Ok. Three people he _didn't _like (well, he was sure he wouldn't like the other woman), all in the same room? This was not going to be good. At all. Things like these usually meant intervention or something bad for the only person who didn't know what was going on.

"Jounouchi-kun." His eyes darted over to Mrs.Sakura as she spoke, voice as calming to him as if it were a train bearing down on him like the hands of God. "Please sit down."

"Nah, I'd rather stand."

"Alright Jounouchi-kun, if you feel better standing." Her arms crossed over her breasts and he sneered. Who was defensive now?

His small gloating was interrupted by Mr.Yaminako's voice drifting over to him. "Jounouchi-kun, we're here to talk about housing arrangements, since it is… very unlikely that your father will be bailed."

… What?

Housing arrangements!

Housing arrangements equaled foster homes! Foster homes meant moving! Moving was a definite no-no!

Fuck no!

"_Fuck no!"_

"Watch you're language, Jounouchi-kun!"

"I'm not talkin about no fuckin' 'housing arrangements'! I'm not going to any damn foster home!" He edged towards the door, shoulders hunched and back rigid as he thought of escaping. This became apparent to all three adults and Mr. Yaminako stood up from where he had been sitting behind the desk, hands pressed hard against the desk top.

"We didn't say anything about a foster home, Jounouchi-kun!"

"Fuck, you sure could've fooled me!" His voice was sharp and he glared over his shoulder, hand inching towards the doorknob. The blonde took a quick look at the other lady, who looked aghast at his behavior. He'd have find out about her later, when he wasn't so pissed off.

"Jounouchi-kun, we're here for your best interest!"

The blonde's eyes went back to Mrs.Sakura and he paused before leering at them, thinking for that moment and then snickering for no reason at all. "I got most of the money, anyway, so fuck right off and don't help."

"But, Joun-"

"Bye bye, and don't look for me again, you assholes!"

With that, he opened the door and walked out, slamming it with such vigor as to make the secretary jump and stare at him angrily.

He grinned and flipped her the bird, much to her surprise, and walked out.

Thursdays were _very _fucked up days.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

OMG WORK SUCKS.

Managers treat me like shit. But at least I got a day off to finish writing what I had.

So please, savor and enjoy, because I probably won't update for another month X3!

And review! Might make me work faster XP!

(Oh, I might go back and edit some of the first chapters because they are _Horr-i-ble!_ So enjoy this extra much XD!)


	13. HotDogs

YAY! IT'S FINISHED! AND IT CONTAINS A LOT OF SetoxJou ACTION KINDA STUFF! SO ENJOY XD

(Capitals _are_ our friends)

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi!

**WARNING: **This contains slight shounen-ai and Yaoi hinting. Meaning boyxboy shit. Fuck off if you find it offensive.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O- Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one's a dream and which one's real, right?

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! I will now not give personalized reviews, because this story has reached over 100 reviews, on this site and others! Plus, we aren't allowed to do it anymore! But thank you for supporting me despite the lack of updates!

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 13**

_Just a dream, just an ordinary dream.  
As I wake in bed  
And the boy, that boy, that ordinary boy.  
Or was it all in my head?  
Did he ask if I would come along  
It all seemed so real.  
But as I looked to the door,  
I saw that boy standing there with a deal._

-_Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton_

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Daylight was fast approaching, and Katsuya Jounouchi had not gotten a wink of sleep.

At least he got all his homework finished, right? The teachers wouldn't yell at him for not getting his Math or English right, because he had checked and double-checked and triple-checked, because there hadn't been anything else to do.

He had even _cleaned_, for God's sake, and the place was almost spotless. Except, of course, for the stains that decorated the couch, floor, and any other available space.

And it was only 4:30, since he had arrived from school to home at 4:15, a lot earlier then usual.

So the blond duelist had sat down and drifted into the existing space between sleep and consciousness. And since he had gotten a little bit too much of Kaiba yesterday, mixed with the fact that he was _ignoring _the urge to picture the make-up wearing pretty boy, he had gotten up pretty fast with an erection that was only the size of Mount Rushmore.

He groaned as he went to the bathroom to fix his little problems, shutting the door in fear of anyone coming in and seeing him (though that was unlikely as Kaiba serenading him while _he_ wore a dress).

A sigh as he slowly started to stroke himself, picturing a busty brunette with icy blue eyes and a permanent frown etched into hi-eeeerrrr face, between his legs as h… shit, he gave up.

Picturing Kaiba, he could feel himself getting harder and the shock of pleasure already racing down his spine, swallowing him like Kaiba's mouth would…

A soft sigh and he came, not able to gather the energy it took to moan like he normally would have. He stuck his sticky hands under the faucet, then pulled them back on a thought and started taking his clothes off.

As soon as he jumped into the shower to be greeted by a cold burst of water, he sneered at his smeared reflection.

If all of his problems could be solved like that, he was damn well ready to go for it.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Jou."

Never mind Thursdays being fucked up. _This_ was fucked up.

Like… Seto Kaiba talking to him? Was he dreaming? Were they about to put on a show of hot and fantastic kinky sex for the whole school to ogle at?

…Not appropriate when said man-of-his-dreams was staring at him, face impassive as always.

He must have looked confused as hell because the icy brunet sighed, one hand freeing itself from it's position crossed against his chest to wave at the cafeteria door. "May I talk to you, Jounouchi?"

Ooohhh, he could feel his friends staring holes into his back from a table down. He could also feel Honda glaring a Death glare at Kaiba from the spot closest to him.

"Uuuuhhhh…"

Well… Shit, he couldn't very well say no, right? Not after Kaiba had been so…. Nice to him. He didn't have any money to buy food, anyway. All he had was half a bag of crackers, and he could chuck those, because… Well, shit, they were gross. He didn't even know how long they had been in the damn cupboard. He didn't even remember _buying _them.

"Ok. Sure."

Kaiba turned his back, and he fluidly got out of his seat and followed the icy CEO's lead. Today, he noticed, Kaiba was wearing the normal school uniform. Blue, tight enough, and…

_Well, _the blond thought, snickering to himself_, I wouldn't mind following if I got to stare at his ass without knowing._

… And Kaiba was looking at him looking down at his ass.

Fuck.

His eyes shot up to Kaiba's and he gave a little, nervous grin, waving his hands theatrically to give off a little energy. "Hurry up, Kaiba, we don't got all day! Open the damned door already, will you?"

When Kaiba didn't move and continue to stare at him oddly, the blond sighed, exasperated, and moved forward.

The unfortunate thing was that the other teen had his hand on the door handle and his body sideways, and since he was going for the same door…

Well, their chests ended up close enough to brush and he froze for a split second, looking up through his eyelashes to look at Kaiba, who was staring intently at him.

Wow. This was close. Even closer than the time on the roof, or the library, or… Geez, Kaiba was so close he could _just _move forward _just_ a bit and…

The moment was broken as the door was opened from the other side and, as Jou let go, Kaiba stumbled slightly forward and glared at the culprit fiercely, enough to send the guy a message that if they were in a less public place, he'd be going to the hospital.

The guy looked away nervously and scurried to the next door, opening it so that he wouldn't be going between the blue-eyed psycho and the very pissed-off looking blond.

A second with Jou turning enough to glare holes into the guy's back before he looked back at Kaiba, whose face had turned from scowl to relaxed in the split second he glimpsed any actual emotion.

The young CEO motioned for them to continue, going through the doors and down the hall in quick, hurried steps .

Jou followed suit and let his eyes wander down again, face blank.

By the time they had gotten outside, the blond was frustrated and getting a little annoyed at the brunet whose ass he was looking at.

"Kaiba! Hey, you ass! Stop! Christ!"

He would've swore Kaiba was ignoring him if it wasn't for the telltale sign of him slowing down from a fucking Olympic speed walker's pace to a normal, _human_ pace.

The young duelist caught up effortlessly after that and ran slightly ahead so that he was walking backwards, able to see his face instead of his ass. And, of course, to speak to him properly. "Hey, what did ya want of me, anyway, pre-iiick!"

Gawd, his speech was screwing him over. He was never, ever gonna call Kaiba a pretty boy to his face. For one, Kaiba would kill him. For two, He'd kill himself because that would be like admitting he _like-_

No. He wasn't even going to think the rest of the second reason.

His thoughts were interrupted by a snort, and a small 'watch out', before he stumbled slightly backwards, arms automatically flailing out to catch anything but air.

Well, not _air_, exactly. More like Kaiba's coat sleeve.

And with an unexpected 'riiiiiiiiip!' and a small cry of indignation, Jou landed on his back with Kaiba's sleeve in his hand and said person's shadow covering him.

The only thing he could see at the moment was the brunet's glaring, white fore arm, revealed only because of the _sleeve in his hand_.

Silence rang in the street, not a sound trying to cover the blonde's embarrassment. At least it seemed like that. For all he knew, a tornado could have been in the next block and he wouldn't have heard it, to busy trying to not kill himself.

Shit. He had just _ruined _Kaiba's jacket.

Ruined.

That same word kept on repeating in his mind as he finally opened his eyes to stare up at the blue-eyed CEO, who towered over him and was…

Well, oddly, his face was stony and emotionless, as if he was trying to block the killing urge he had going for Jou.

Shit. He was pretty close to being dead. He was preeeeetttttyyyy sure Kaiba was about to kill him in the most inhumane way possible.

He stared up at Kaiba, who stared back. The only other sound he heard in the street was a loud horn, and that was a brief second.

Then Kaiba actually… well, his shoulders _shook_. And he was trying to hide something from coming over his face. And it wasn't a smirk, because Kaiba wouldn't be turning away from him of he was.

Something in his mind clicked as he watched the CEO turn away, trying to keep his frown on as his face turned red from the effort of…

"Holy shit, you're trying not to laugh!"

Kaiba glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and then turned fully around, so he wasn't facing the blond boy. Jou took this as a sign to shut up and stop talking, but he grinned.

He was going to bug him till he got his ass kicked. He didn't care if it'd kill him. He'd just… do _anything _at the moment to see Kaiba laugh. Or make an idiot of himself.

Quickly, he got up and brushed off his behind, taking the piece of cloth that had previously been part of the brunet's jacket sleeve and stuffing it into his pocket. That was when he heard the light coughing from where Kaiba was standing.

His grinned only widened as he realized what the brunet was trying to do. Trying to mask his laughing with a coughing fit.

Clearly, he hadn't had to hide things like this before. So it would be his personal goal to make him fail at something he tried for the first time.

Quick steps lead him to in front of Kaiba, who was refusing to look at him as his hand covered his mouth, curled into a fist as if he was actually coughing.

_As if_.

"You! You, trying not to laugh! Kaiba! Seto Kaiba, trying not to laugh!"

The taller teen turned away from him, face still struggling to set into it's usual stony frown as his own face beamed at him.

He sidestepped so that he was in front of Kaiba and made a face, sticking out his tongue and crossing his eyes in an imitation of a clown he had seen when he was little. The first and last circus he had been too..

Kaiba stared at him, and then turned away from him for the second time, so that his back was again facing the teen duelist.

Jou's steps again took him to in front of Kaiba, who just turned away again.

"Look!" Ok, this was hard. And he was getting frustrated. Laughing wasn't going to _kill _anyone, and it never had! "If you laugh, I'll stop buggin' ya!"

The first verbal word he had received since falling finally came out, and he grinned at the breathlessness of it. "No."

"Fine, you jerk!"

Since making faces at him didn't work, and trying to see hi laugh didn't work…

His next plan might kill him. But he was sure it would be worth it if Kaiba just smiled, for God's sake. If he didn't, he'd count his life worthless and unmeaning and beat the shit out of the brunet.

Throwing the rest of little caution to the wind, Jou took a split second to behind his knees before full-fledged _jumping_ onto Kaiba's back.

The teenage boy let out a whoosh of air at the added weight that was now on top of him, and the blond let out a wild grin at step one in his plan of 'Get-Kaiba-To-Laugh!'.

… He was never really good at naming things.

He pushed those thoughts to the side as he strained his neck to see Kaiba's face, trying to see any sign of a grin or a… Any sign would do, really. Just as long as it was a _happy _sign.

Now to take step two!

"I'm not getting off until you admit that you were laughing or trying not to smile or somethin'!"

He wasn't that great of a planner, either, apparently.

Well Kaiba was giving him a bewildered look, the brown-eyed boy just grinned wildly at him and wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck as tight as he could without choking the other teen.

… The brunet was staring at him with something akin to amusement. With a very small, barely-there, smile etched into his features.

His voice, when he spoke, was also amused and slightly breathless.

"I admit to nothing, Katsuya Jounouchi."

Plan three was to get off, s-

…Shit. Never mind.

Plan three was apparently terminated as Kaiba's arms grabbed his legs and hoisted him up, squeezing out a shocked squeak as the brunet started walking.

_With him still on his back._

"What the hell, Kaiba!"

"More comfy this way."

"What!"

"Shut up. I want to get something to eat before lunch is over."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Get off, Wheeler."

"You're right, though. It is more comfy this way."

Not to mention he liked having his legs around Kaiba, but he wasn't really going to admit to that, was he?

"Get off. We've already attracted enough attention for me to be publicly shamed for my foolish behavior for a month or so."

"What, you haven't let loose once in yer life?"

"I could do that perfectly fine at home. Now get off."

"But it's so comfy!"

Before another word was said, Jou was dropped from his position of being carried - _quite _comfortably - from Kaiba's back onto the dirty ground, with Kaiba glaring at him lightly from his_ standing_ position.

Jou took the brunet's glaring down at him for a chance to glare up at him, making another face. "Jerk. You didn't have to dump me on the ground!"

"You wouldn't get off."

"I would've eventually!"

"Hurry up else I'm not buying you lunch."

"What? I can bu-"

"Why didn't you buy your own lunch at school?"

Silence.

"… Jerk."

"Do you want a hot dog or not?"

The blond stared at the cool CEO, pointing at the cart near the park's entrance. Kaiba was offering to buy him food, but…?

"You offer to buy me lunch, and then you decide that you'd buy me something I've eaten half of my life and could get for all the coins under my couch cushions!"

"You're trying my patience, mutt. Do you want a hot dog, or not?"

He weighed his options in his mind, the pros and cons ringing clearly in his head.

Pro: He got to eat a hot dog. Lunch.

Con: He'd be indebted to Kaiba.

Evidence that he should turn to Pro and take the hot dog: Shit, he was already indebted to the insomniac-tic, money-grubbing pretty boy. For multiple reasons, big and small.

And he was fucking _hungry._

"I want the biggest hot dog they got! With everything on it! And I mean _everything_!"

Kaiba almost looked like he was going to sigh, but quickly covered up the human emotion of disappointment by nodding and starting to walk over to the hot dog stand.

Jou followed and the brunet snorted, eyeing the dirty white cart in distaste.

"If I'd known any better, puppy, I'd swear you were a human trash can, not a dog."

Kaiba was pissing him off with the two-in-one-sentence insult. He swore that if the brunet CEO wasn't buying him lunch, he'd be beating the shit outta him!

"Since yer buying me lunch and all, and you gave me a free ride, I'll let the comment slide, moneybags."

"How generous of you."

"I know, right? Now pay the guy, the hotdogs are getting cold!"

Kaiba also looked like he was getting pissed at his behavior and attitude. Served him right, for pissing him off _first._

Paying the man, who thanked them for choosing 'Ed's Hotdogs', Kaiba handed him his hotdog, identical to his own, and they went to sit down at a bench not far from where they were standing, near the water fountain.

When they sat down, Jou was finished half of his hot dog and Kaiba was staring at him with something akin to disgust, his expression practically conveying the message 'How can you _do _that?'.

A few more seconds and Jou was finished, popping his fingers in and out of his mouth with a self satisfied sigh.

Catching Kaiba staring at him, he popped his last finger into his mouth, licked whatever was on it off, sucked hard, and popped it out again, all in 5 seconds and with a wild grin.

"Practice makes perfect!"

…Kaiba's face had just colored, it looked like. Or it was the heat, or-

Shit.

Realizing what he just said, he sat there in shocked horror and berated himself mentally.

Sucking on your fingers and then saying 'practice makes perfect!', with a wild,-eat-shit grin?

If that wasn't full of innuendo, he seriously didn't know _what_ was.

Not to mention 'sucking' and 'Kaiba' weren't really words he liked putting together in his mind, out in public, especially with said person there.

A few moments of awkward silence, both of them sitting uncomfortably together, Jou's hands in his lap and Kaiba's one hand, still poised with the hot dog, in mid air. It was only broken by a yelp of a dog and a long line of condiments falling off of Kaiba's hot dog to dribble down his finger.

They both stared at it in astonishment, as if it was the most amazing thing to ever happen to either of them, before Jou spoke.

"Wow. Never knew billionaires could be so messy with hot dogs."

Dryly, Kaiba answered back, cool attitude and façade sliding back on effortlessly. "There's a l-"

The only reason he didn't get to finish his sentence was because the blond had reached over, not thinking of consequences or the reason screaming in his ear, grabbed the pale hand with the mustard, relish, and ketchup sliding down it, and licked the _long_ line up from near his elbow to the middle of his pointer finger.

Realizing that he had done a very stupid thing, his mind produced a very stupid answer to his daring actions.

"Uuuuhhhhh…."

The young CEO was staring at him.

Staring _hard_.

_Really hard._ As if he was about to jump the blond and either kill him or ravish him from an inch of his life.

Jou's face colored instantly and he snapped his face away. Bringing a hand up to drag through his fair hair.

_He had just licked Kaiba._

"Uuuuuhhh… I don't like wasting food?"

… That was an even stupider excuse then what _Honda_ could come up with.

And… Well, shit, it wasn't supposed to be sexy or anything! It wasn't even supposed to be funny! It wasn't even supposed to happen, never mind be anything!

As Jou panicked inside, five-warning fire alarms going off left and right, Kaiba just stared at him for another second before calmly started to eat his hot dog.

Calmly, as if it hadn't even happened and Jou had just made some stupid remark about the weather, or how the water fountain was pretty, or ho-

Well, fuck, Kaiba was acting like nothing even _happened_.

The silence, again, seemed awkward, but only for the blond this time, so he looked at the brunet CEO from out of the corner of his eye.

Kaiba silently ate his hot dog, the tasty junk food disappearing every few seconds until there was nothing left.

He couldn't stop staring, entranced with Kaiba's mouth, until it was all finished and only the napkin remained, soaking wet with green, red, yellow, and translucent fluid. All in all, it looked pretty disgusting, but Kaiba wasn't letting go of it fro the garbage right beside them.

He turned his eyes away quickly so the young duelist didn't catch him staring at him, or think… anything. Or something. Or… whatever.

When he felt something wet and cold touch his cheek, he almost let out a loud yelp until he felt something warm and wet touch his cheek, trailing up for a split second before it was gone.

The blond blinked away his confusion and turned to gape at Kaiba, who was coolly disposing of the wet napkin and sucking on one single finger, popping it out when he saw the blond ogling him.

Had Kaiba… Had he…

"Did you just lick me?"

"Pay back for ruining my uniform and for licking me first. You really are a dog, aren't you?"

He was speechless enough that he couldn't even snap a clever comeback to the dog comment, only sat gaping at Kaiba, who just got up and stood, cool as ever as if nothing, _again_, hadn't happen.

This guy was to… _calm_ for his own good.

You don't just stand there and act normal after you've licked a guy's face! Not like licking someone's arm was _normal_, per se, but licking someone's face was even _weirder._

Also incredibly kinky, but he wasn't going to get into _that _at the moment. He didn't want to get hard-on in front of Kaiba, of all people! That was going past… _anything_ that could be counted as a bad thing to happen in front of your _enemy_!

…Not that Kaiba was really his enemy, anymore, since they had kissed and just licked each other. What the hell were they supposed to be now! Friends with… really fucked benefits? 'I lick you, kiss you, but don't like you' kinda thing?

Apparently, his imitation of a fish was starting to agitate Kaiba , whose face was set in another, infamous frown.

"Mutt, you have 5 minutes left to get back to school to be in time for your next class."

This snapped him out of his trance enough for him to send a confused look in the blue-eyed teens' direction, all previous thoughts forgotten. Thank God for one-track minds. "What? Aren't you comin'?"

"If you haven't noticed yet, idiot, I have a shirt that is ripped and I'm not very decent for school right now."

"So yer not going?"

"Yes, Mutt, for the last time, I'm not going."

His speechlessness rang true in his ears as Kaiba stared at him.

OK. Too many events leaded to not thinking. No thinking led to a pissed-off Kaiba. A pissed off Kaiba equaled a-

"Idiot. See you Monday."

With that, the young CEO left as quietly as he'd ate, boots making small clicking sounds as Jou stared after him, amazed at all of the events that had happened in less than one hour.

Holy fuck.

Fridays were very, _very_ fucked up days.

But in a good way.

Glancing at the clock that was on one of the highest building in Domino, Jou cursed as he realized what time it was.

He was going to be fucking late, too!

A second and he was standing up and running for his life and his grades, a silly grin painted on his face.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

The first thing he noticed, when he got home, was how messy his apartment was again.

Taking it as a sign that Tohmy or one of his other friends that knew how to pick his difficult lock had come in and messed around with his things to bug him, he sat down and flung his school bag to the ground. Taking a second look around, he noticed that the watch Tohmy had left, picked up from the ground and placed on the table on his way out, was gone.

Someone had broken in then. Oh well. If it had been a break in, it wasn't something to be worried about; it was a common occurrence, and it wasn't like he had anything to worry about, anyway.

A ringing answered his scowling thoughts of being late for his fourth period class, and without hesitation, he picked it up. A second and he cursed himself for being so easy with the phone before he actually said something.

"Hello, Jounouchi residence."

"Jounouchi-kun, this is Benachi Sakura, calling from the police station."

…Oh fuck. Whenever he heard from this woman, it was always bad news!

And the _police station?_

Her voice, when she spoke again, was slightly panicked and a little higher then usual. "Jounouchi-kun, your father has escaped. I advise you go to a _safe_ place immediately and stay there for the time being."

…Wait, what!

"What?"

"He broke out a night ago, and they only just reached me now. They have no idea how he could've gotten out, or where he is. All we know is that he's very angry, especially at you." Her voice was hurried, and… what?

"Why at me!"

"Because, apparently, you didn't bail him out fast enough. It would be a very large risk, Jounouchi-kun, if you chose to stay at home an-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Ok. He couldn't let his voice convey his panic. Or any other emotion besides complete peace, or whatever.

"Jounouchi-kun, we'll send a car to co-"

He interrupted her again, almost thankful that his voice only sounded a little rough. As it was, he should be screaming at her for not making sure they kept his father locked upgoodenough. This was only going to make everything worse! "No, it's alright, I'll find a place. Seeya."

"But, Jou-"

The blond slammed the phone down before he could hear another word and got up immediately, grabbing his backpack and heading into the kitchen for a bite.

_That's_ why this place looked ransacked. _Daddy was back_!

That was probably why Tohmy's watch was stolen, too. For pawning or something close to it. He was going to sell it, he knew that. That watch could easily bring in $30, even if it was broken

Grabbing a half-bag of stale crackers, he took a second to think before opening the knife drawer, rummaging around, and pulling out the only _good_ switchblade in the house, which had been taped to the underside of the counter for protection. So it wouldn't be pawned or anything.

It would be the only thing keeping him alive on the streets tonight. He wasn't stupid enough to wander around and get stabbed _again_, at least without some form of protection this time. Plus, he had a backpack. He was a prime target for anything with a sleazy thought in it's head.

With that, and the though that he was going to be very fucking tired tomorrow, Jou stuffed the blade into his pocket, walking out and not even bothering to close and lock the door behind him.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

So, I am done, and it is unbeta-ed, because it's 11:30 pm and I wanted to get this out, AND I still got homework, plus school, plus a shower to go to. So, be happy I got it out, riiiiigggghhhhhtttt?

Reviews help insomniacs find sleep and energy! So, help this insomniac! Review!


	14. Emotion

So begins the third last chapter of this story.

Enjoy it while you can X3.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi! But I do own the plot X3.

**WARNING: **This contains alotta shounen-ai and alotta Yaoi . Meaning boyxboy shit. Fuck off if you find it offensive.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O- Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one's a dream and which one's real, right?

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! I will now not give personalized reviews, because this story has reached over 100 reviews, on this site and others! Plus, we aren't allowed to do it anymore! But thank you for supporting me despite the lack of updates!

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 13**

…_It's hard to believe  
As I watch you breathe  
Your mind drifts and weaves _

When you dream,  
What do you dream about?  
When you dream,  
What do you dream about?  
Do you dream about  
Music or mathematics  
Or planets too far for the eye?  
Do you dream about  
Jesus or quantum mechanics  
Or angels who sing lullabies?

His fontanelle pulses with lives that he's lived  
With memories he'll learn to ignore  
And when it is closed, he already knows  
He's forgotten all he knew before  
But when sleep sets in  
History begins  
_-When you Dream, by Barenaked Ladies_

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

God, why did he _always_ have to sleep in awkward, _awkward_ positions?

He moaned loudly as he felt a tight strain in his neck when he rolled his head right, fingers coming up to lightly brush the sore muscles of his neck.

His legs were also cramped like hell.

Such probably happened when you had your legs scrunched up to your chest for more than 4 hours. In one of those big garbage disposals, no less.

Why had he chosen to sleep in the trash again?

He twisted his neck right again and twitched, blinking in the inky blackness before remembering why he was there, and what his stupid reasoning had been.

His pops had gotten out of jail, somehow. He wasn't safe, Benachi-san had said. So he had left to wander the night, slinking through alleyways and avoiding all sorts of fights that would have come his way.

He had arrived at… Shit.

He was in Kaiba Corps. trash heap.

Stupidly, the blond had decided that his dad wouldn't be in the Rich District. He also wouldn't look in a rich people's garbage can. Also, it was fucking cold, he had been freezing his fucking _balls_ off, and he was getting pissy from lack of sleep.

So, he picked Kaiba Corps. trash disposal. He'd been lucky because the only thing that had been in there was a few pieces of old food and a lot of paper. Trash day (or Recycle day, because Kaiba probably recycled, and there _was _a lot of paper. Who would pay attention to any kind of sign when they were half-dead from lack of sleep?) must have been last Wednesday, or something. The teen could care less when it had been, but at least he didn't have to sit amongst rotting food and baby shit.

He squinted in the dark, deciding that he should probably get up. He had fell asleep at, what, 7:00 am? 8:00 am? Was it Saturday?

Saturday, November 4th. Shit.

A realization that he had 11 days to fork over his dad's bail before this, but he shrugged it off. It was probably a lot more now.

Stretching, he didn't even hear or comprehend the garbage lid being lifted, or hear a yell until a huge weight landed on him and he let out an indignant squawk.

There seemed to be a pause of noise in the outside world, where the world held it's breath and the blond cursed the big bag of newspapers that had landed on him. He only heard a loud 'Bleeeeep!' from a car horn before he was jerked up roughly, into the face of a middle-aged, balding, ugly fat-man.

"What the hell? I think we might just do something about you sleeping here!"

Oh.

Shit.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

He was currently face down, face rubbing against the smooth linoleum, with a knee digging into his back. His arms were also being held. Very, very tightly. And it was fucking _hurting_.

"Get off of me, you stupid, sonofamotherfucking BITCH!"

The knee dug into his back harder, and he swore again, trying to raise his body to buck the burly man off. Why the hell were they being so rough? He had just been in their garbage can! That wasn't a crime!

"You're a spy for another company, looking through the trash for hints of our next big plan, aren't you? That's not allowed for people like you, you little punk!"

…Fucking security guards had no clue what they were talking about. Were all enforcers of the Law so… retarded? He hadn't been trying to steal anything! Not even some fucking sleep! God!

"LET GO OF ME YOU FUCKING COCK SUCKING ASS LIC-"

"Jounouchi?"

…

_Oooooh_, this couldn't get _any_ fucking better, could it?"

"Kaiba, get yer fuckin' guard dogs offa me! They're being retarded!"

He heard an undignified snort come from the direction of wherever the hell the young CEO had been, and the gruff order that followed it.

The knee was removed from his back and he let his body relax as much as it could, tugging half-heartedly on his hands.

… They had even put hand cuffs on him. Or something. Because he couldn't get his arms from behind him.

"Get these fuc-"

"Take off the handcuffs, also."

…This was wrong in so many way.

For one, his back was facing Kaiba, and it must have been an amusing picture. Him, still in his school clothes from yesterday (he had to get out of the apartment, _fast_, since, you know, the whole thing about his dad breaking out wasn't all that safe), dirty (no shower, either. Had to leave.), and smelling like paper. The blond wondered where in the hell his backpack had went, but shrugged it off. It was probably still in the garbage can/recycle can. He'd pick it up later.

Right now, the brown-eyed teen had _much_ more to worry about. Like the brunet.

A click and his arms were free, and he rolled over so that he could rub his wrists and scowl at the security guard. He looked stonily back, while the man that had found him (presumably the janitor) was gesturing wildly at the blond on the ground.

"But, sir! He was in the recycle bin!"

Recycle bin it was.

"This punk was trying to steal all of your secrets! He was _sleeping_ when I found him! He's probably been there all night!"

He resisted the urge to say 'Only since 7 or 8!' to jump into the one-sided argument, and instead decided to watch the scenario fold out in front of him.

The teen duelist noticed that Kaiba seemed to be getting a little pissed. His frown was making him look a little… unappealing.

The horny/in-love-with-Kaiba side of him told him that the brunet could never truly look ugly. Only slightly unappealing. And that was probably just trying to take the fear out of looking at him when he was getting angry.

He promptly ignored that side.

"This punk could try and sell all your secrets to ano-"

"Pray tell, Manato-_san_, why I would, or any _other _employee for that matter, throw something of value into the recycle been for any kind of person, spy or bum, to find it?"

His voice was cool, which had the exact opposite effect on the older man's face, making it flush a burning, angry scarlet.

The blond personally wanted to strangle the teen CEO for calling him a bum. He wasn't one, goddamn it! That was temporary, sleeping in fucking garbage cans! If he got to talk to the CEO alone, he would fucking _kill_ him.

The man, named Manato, seemed to regain his senses and gather his thoughts and remaining pride as Jou's little feud went on inside of him, words stuttering for a minute before he spoke. "But, sir! He was still on private property, and wa-"

"If you spout more idiotic plans on throwing this boy in prison-"

He wasn't a boy, goddamn it. Was Kaiba intent on publicly humiliating him without him doing a Goddamn thing about it!

"I'll have you fired on the spot. Now, go clean the staff lounge. It's absolutely filthy."

… Did Kaiba just threaten to fire a man on his behalf?

… It made him feel all fuzzy in side. For some reason, even if it was mildly weird to feel happy when the one you're constantly horny after threatens to destroy a man's life, in some way. Was that normal?

Never mind. If he was a boy, he definitely wasn't a fucking love-sick girl!

"Jounouchi, get up."

He had been to busy listening to his own buzzing thoughts to notice that the brunet had walked over and held out a hand to him to grab, face impassive and stony as he looked down expectantly at the sitting teen.

It took him a second of debating whether or not he should snap at the brunet CEO or grab his hand. In the end, he chose to grab the pale man's hand and was pulled up immediately and quickly, causing him to stumble and glare.

"Yer an a-"

"Follow me."

… Someone had a humongous stick up his ass today. Really. He felt sorry for Mokuba, living through this all the time, 24/7. He didn't know how the kid did it. Worked some special Mokuba-charm, maybe?

He silently followed the other teen, wondering why in the hell he was being so passive today as they walked through the building, receiving stares and whispers from all the men and women working. Did Mr.Kaiba just save a _mongrel_?

The shorter male refused the urge to lift up his hands and give them a show of what normal kids were like these days. Not super-intelligent, super-hot, super-asshole-ish kids.

Instead, he made angry faces at Kaiba's back, who was strutting through the building as if he owned the place. Which he did, but it didn't give him the right to act like such an arrogant _bastard_ about it.

When they arrived at the elevator, he tried making his face as emotionless as the brunet's in front of him, when said brunet turned around to examine him, silent.

Which was making him nervous. Unbearably nervous. So much that he stared right back at the CEO, trying not to twitch or rub his neck or any other sore spot on his body.

The odd staring contest wasn't even interrupted by the 'ding!' of the elevator.

Where were people when you needed them? Did they just… not go wherever Kaiba did? Or was his breathing space the size of a freaking room?

The sound of the elevator sliding shut finally caught the blonde's attention and he broke the contest, darting forward and pushing Kaiba with his shoulder slightly to catch the door to stop it.

… Jou could practically feel the heat of Kaiba's hatred radiating. Everywhere. It was freaking him out.

Giving the young CEO an abashed look and laughing nervously, he darted inside the elevator, which wasn't very safe on his part. Just thinking of what Kaiba could do to him in a secluded elevator, alone, with no one watching…

God! No! Bad Images! Not with Kaiba! NO!

He blinked after a few seconds, realizing Kaiba hadn't followed him in until he head the clack of a cell phone being snapped shut and Kaiba's boot-clicking being rendered silent as he stepped on the carpeted floor of the elevator.

The blond chose to stare down at his own feet while Kaiba stared _him _down, remembering that all of his money, all $68, 000 _dollars _of it, was still in the bin, waiting to be taken by any garbage grubbing hobo. As well as his fucking dueling deck.

"Oh shit!"

Kaiba looked at him coolly, waiting for the reason for his swearing.

"I left all my stuff in the re-… Eeerrr…"

Kaiba stared at him again. Hard. And it was making him fucking _nervous_.

"Ah, see. I left my stuff at the re… re… re…po? The repo place… Ummm…. Yeah."

His voice hadn't been small. Or tiny. Or anything of the sort. Nothing that showed that he was just a _little_ creeped out.

After his sentence was met with silence, Jounouchi decided that he needed new shoes. Looking at them was depressing. They were all ripped and the sole was being torn off and th-

"What were you doing in the recycle bin?"

"Huh? Uh…"

Mind was still on shoes. New shoes. Kaiba talking.

He pulled his eyes away from observing the mud-incrusted laces, looking straight up and at Kaiba after he had spoken. All he saw were blue, _glaring _eyes and a poker face that would scare little children.

"I was…" He had asked about what he had been doing in his dumpster thing, right? So he had to make it believable. "… Dumpster Diving!"

… Well, it was believable, but made him seem a lot more pathetic and poor than he was already made out to be. But he had nothing to lose _but _dignity in this situation, so what the hell, it was believable enough!

"In a recycle bin?"

… Shit. He forgot about the fact that he had been in the recycle bin. Not the dumpster. New excuse. Or maybe he could build on his older one? Whatever the way, he had to come up with something for Kaiba to stop _staring _at him like that.

"I was… Looking for paper!"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow as Jounouchi sweated. Why would he look for paper!

He was about to whack himself, physically this time, before paper connected with one of the most hated things in the world. "Paper! For school! I was looking for paper for school since I had run out of paper to write notes and such on! So… Uhh. Paper. School."

The blond smiled nervously, and when he saw Kaiba wasn't backing down, he averted his own eyes to, again, his mud-incrusted shoe laces. They were getting crusty. And was that mold? He really needed to clean those things. Or steal new ones. One or the other. But mold? How'd tha-

A hand slammed beside his head and he winced, defense mechanism taking a back seat as he continued to stare at his feet.

_Don't look at Kaiba, he'll be angry._

The voice, when it came, was very close to his face, and he only noticed how close Kaiba had moved when he saw brown strands in his vision and felt the hot breathe of an angry CEO on his face.

"Why do you insist on lying?"

He stayed silent, knowing that if this was his dad, this would be the calm before the storm. The quiet before an all out yelling match, and maybe a smack or two.

Kaiba seemed to get that Jou was used to this, but his voice didn't lessen and his tone was kept even as he breathed fire over the blond.

"I know more things than most people do about you, even things you haven't even told me. Yet you insist on lying. I know you're too proud to go into the dumpsters unless it's for a good reason."

Which was true. He hadn't been dumpster diving since he was 12. And he had been desperate and hungry and almost insane from thirst to do it. But Kaiba had admitted he had stalked him, if only a little bit.

"I know there was a better reason than paper for school. You could have borrowed such a measly thing from Yugi, Honda, or Anzu. And when has school supplies been such an essential? You don't care if you have a calculator in math, yet you need paper?"

Christ, Kaiba must have stalked him a lot. Or watched him a lot. Or did something that made him able to find out that Jounouchi always borrowed a calculator from the teacher. One way or another, Kaiba knew what he was talking about. He was beginning to see what made Kaiba such a good businessman.

"Jounouchi. Why won't you tell me something as stupid as this?"

Kaiba's voice was still steady, not moving from the stern tone, and it made him feel like a little kid. He wasn't a fucking kid, goddamn it! And he wasn't afraid to tell Kaiba!

…Maybe a little, because it was such a big thing, something he'd have a hard time telling Yugi, but he wasn't going to admit it to that guy. He wasn't going to be cheesy or anything like that either. So he came up with the best possible answer.

"Because I told you more than I wanted too."

There was a pause of the breathing blowing in his face, as if Kaiba was actually offended by his answer. The blonde refused to think he was for the simple fact that Kaiba shouldn't give a _flying shit_ about him.

The silence continued, the breathing returning a second later, until it was almost unbearably awkward to be like they were. Kaiba was still leaning above him, hand still by his head, and their breathes were too close to be comfortable, and he didn't know why he was noticing Kaiba's breathing so much, but it was just _there_, and…

A cool hand on his face forced him to look up to Kaiba's eyes and he refused to stop breathing because of how close Kaiba was or notice how pretty his eyes were or how pale he was or how his own eyes were closing and-

_Chappedcoffeandicecreamnotassoftasagirl'sbutbutBUT…_

Kissing.

Kaiba had leaned forward when he had closed his eyes and pressed his lips softly to his, very little different from their first-ever kiss He wondered what his lips felt like when Kaiba kissed them.

There was a slight movement and he realized that he was _kissing Seto Kaiba._ He hadn't closed his eyes and just imagined it. It was real, and Kaiba was pulling away because of him being unresponsive.

Without thinking, Jou's hand came up and wrapped around the blue-eyed CEO's neck, bringing their lips together again in an impact that almost _hurt_.

The young duelist seemed surprised for a second before the hand that hadn't been holding his face came to rest gingerly on his right hip, and their kiss became much more forceful, almost hungry in the way their hands clutched at one another.

His other hand was clutching Kaiba's jacket in a death grip, he noticed, as if to prevent the other boy from moving away.

He eagerly opened his mouth under the other boy's when he felt the tip of a tongue brush against his lip, and their kiss became more fierce, more like a battle than what it was, when their tongue's met.

They impatiently battled for dominance for a split second, Jou's tongue slick against Kaiba's, before the blonde gave in and moaned under the other's control.

His grip on the brunet's jacket became tighter and he pulled the other forward, bodies becoming flush against each other as Kaiba's mouth practically devoured Jounouchi's.

Another gasp between them as he felt the beginning of his arousal press against the knee Kaiba had wedged between his legs, almost letting the kiss go in an effort to prevent the shiver, which was caused from the raw pleasure of this being _real_.

_Not a dream. Consequences._

He didn't care.

_Father. Dad. Think of Pops first._

His lust pleaded with to just forget his conscience and he listened to his desire easily, letting out a sharp breath through his nose as Kaiba nipped at his lip.

His conscience seemed to turn ugly and evil as he kissed the taller teen back forcefully in an attempt to discard it.

_He's just using you. He's doing this for his own benefit. Think about it; if he gets control over you, he can bribe you to do _everything _for him. He already knows too much._

The blond tried to block out those thoughts as Kaiba's knee nudged at his erection, making him moan quietly.

_Shizuka will be disappointed. So will Yugi. So will Honda. So will Anzu._

_**I don't ca-**_

_HE HATED YOU FOR SO MANY YEARS. HE TAUNTED YOU FOR NO REASON. Are you forgiving all the times of anger over one minute of LUST for him?_

That made him stop in his tracks and freeze up, the remembrance of fights and dog names coming in a flood of memories that he could do without.

_Mutt. Dog. Monkey. Second rate duelist. Not worth my time. _

_Pathetic._

He hadn't noticed that the brunet had pulled back and was now staring at him quizzically, knee still between his legs, hand still on his hip and face, eyes blazing from a raw kind of emotion that could only be invoked by certain emotions.

_He might still hate me._

_He might be doing this because he pities me and knows… knows that I really _like _him._

_He might just want to see me fall._

_He might still hate me._

His eyes were devoid of emotion as he looked back at Kaiba, who was looking more confused by the second, which was skillfully hid behind a mask.

_Do I really want to spend my life with this person?_

Kaiba stared at him as he stared back, trying to gather the thoughts his evil conscience had brought forth, bolded and glaring in bright colors that screamed at him.

_No, you don't._

The second his little devil spoke, his fist had found the brunet's face and he was shaking with a kind of rage that scared him a little.

The blue-eyed teen stared at him, still on his feet but an elevator away.

The staring contest that was started between them, unintentionally, was only a second or two before the happy ding of the fifty-first floor was announced by the elevator that was making him claustrophobic and boxed in with the CEO.

A moment of the door's opening and silence and he bolted out the door, running down the hall to the fire exit and flinging the door open.

He chanced a look back to try and see Kaiba's face looking after him one last time, but he saw nothing.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

He jiggled the handle of his door agitatedly, making a face as he searched his pockets for his house key.

He usually left the door open nowadays. Pops had taken mostly everything on his last escapade, and usually took everything regardless, even if he wasn't in trouble with the law for multiple reasons. Next thing he knew, his dad would be in jail for prostitution.

His face remained distorted as he thought about his father, in a short skirt and leaning over a shiny blue Dodge to try and get a 'date'.

God. That was probably the most traumatizing image he had ever had in his whole, entire, teenaged _life_. God forbid if he ever think of that again.

_Unholy._ That was the word for it.

The teen duelist heard a click and he sighed, glad that he was going to take a much-needed nap in _his _apartment, even if it was 2 o' clock in the afternoon and very loud outside. Dad wouldn't come home at 2 in the afternoon; too crowded for him to escape unnoticed. Not that the apartment's tenants would rat him out, unless there was a big reward in it for them, but his father wasn't _that_ stupid.

He walked into the apartment, door banging hard against the crumbling wall and him ignoring it completely. If he was lucky, he could dig up the coins from under his couch cushions that he had been talking about the other day (with Kaiba, who he refused to think about) and actually by some cheap, good, nutritional food.

He snorted. Yeah, right. Nutritional to him, right now, would be a rat infested with rabies and other disease that could kill an overgrown elephant.

The brown-eyed teen sighed as he remembered that he forgot his stuff in the recycle bin. Everything important. Even his protection. He knew that if daddy dearest came, he might ha-

His eyes roamed over his apartment and all thought processes stopped, taking in the ripped couch cushions, the broken TV, the smashed glass, the wrecked coffee table, the spilled food.

Everything was ruined.

Before he could think another second on the topic, something blunt and hard hit the back of his head and he cried out, arms coming out automatically to break his fall. His hands didn't even _touch _the floor before a foot lashed out, crashing into his side - the healing wound side, which was still fucking _tender_.

A string of curse words and his arms came to rest around his stomach and his screaming wound as he hit the floor, the words only broken by the sharp intake of breath that came with all excruciating pain.

The voice was not sober, slurred, and his eyes snapped open as he heard it.

He was met with the unshaved face of his father, so much like his own except for the blue eyes that labeled him as Shizuka's father.

"Brat…" His voice was really drugged out, and he recognized it from the times his dad had shot up or snorted with him in the room. His father was higher than a fucking _kite_. "Yer t'olly fucked, bo'. I got no'ere ta go but dow', ya know, so whazza li'l ki'ing on my char'?"

The older Jounouchi let out a cruel laugh as he waved the gun that had been under the couch cushion at him.

_Fuck._

The old man continued on talking, unaware of his son's eyes following the .9mm gun's movement through the air as he waved it around. "Ya know, brat, y'er a _accident._"

This was said with contempt and he kept his eyes on the gun, trying not to let the words get to him. He had underestimated his father when he thought he was too stupid to come home during daylight. He should have known by now, from every single source in the world, that you were _not_, under any circumstances, to underestimate _anyone_, even a drugged up wash out with nothing to lose.

The voice was rising in volume, and he had no doubt that Tohmy heard it from next door.

"It was such a _bitch _havin' ya! I was gonna leave yer mum after one night of sex, but th'n 'e whore got _pregnant_." He laughed cruelly. "I wasn' sure if ya're even _mine _till I saw yer _hair_. No 'un has hair like _I _do."

His eyes darted over to the other man's cold, drugged-out smile, and he slowly started to unwind his arms from his stomach.

Very slowly. Almost like he wasn't even moving.

"'En I 'ad to fuckin' 'ell _marry _'er. Fuckin' whore wouldn' let me do othe'wise!"

His arms were unwound from his stomach and were firmly on the floor, slowly twisting his legs into a launching position.

"Oh, 'en came precious Shizuka!" He smiled almost fondly, gun stopping in it's eradicate movements at the ceiling. Jou froze, seeing if he was still ranting or finally coming out of the small daze.

"I 'ante' 'er." Older Jounouchi began waving the gun around again, and younger Jounouchi unfroze ands started moving, slowly, again. "I mean, 'ante' 'er. She was such a swee' piece of girl. But tha' bitch took her, and left me wit' _you_."

His voice seemed to sober slightly and the man frowned, still unaware of his son's movements. "No 'un 'ante' ya. No 'un. But I got stuck wit' ya! And ya, ya wouldn' even bail me outta fuckin' _jail_."

His gaze finally landed on his son and Jou stopped moving, fearful eyes switching between the gun and his father's cold eyes. The man scowled, finally noticing what the blonde boy had been doing the whole time he had been talking.

"Tryin' ta 'scape, ya li'l bitch? Ya coulda prostituted or somethin', ya know. Yer pretty 'nuff. But no, I dun matter ta ya! So I guess I'll just haveta kill ya, huh? I'm gunna be in jail fer a looooong time anyway."

The high man giggled, as if it was funny, and the gun slowly came down to point at Jounouchi. "I wun be beat on much, fer killin' the guy that ruine' my fuckin' _life_."

The gun was centered at his head and he stared down the barrel that was only 5 feet away, thoughts and emotions racing through hell in his head as he comprehended that his dad was actually going to kill him and _like _it.

"Buh Bye, Boy. Ya goin' ta hell, just like yer pops!"

"Like fuckin' hell I will!"

His outburst even surprised him, and it seemed to shock his old man for a split second, mouth forming an 'o' before setting into an ugly scowl.

"Teach ya ta talk ta me like tha', ya li'l bra-"

The second his father had been stunned by his back talk was all Jou needed.

He launched forward, twisting his neck to the side as a shot rang out in the loud household.

A sudden, inescapable pain shot into his shoulder and he grit his teeth against it, one hand grabbing the gun while the other went for his old man's face.

Another shot and he almost let go of the hot barrel, the red almost splashing into his eyes.

He grit his teeth again and knocked his dad away, rendering his only weapon useless by taking it away with the hand that had been shot clear through.

The old man stumbled back, catching his balance on the wall behind him with a shocked yelp and a grunt that signaled a kind of pain he was used to.

The man glared at him and he almost fell over from the sudden rush of adrenaline leaving him just as swiftly, stumbling.

Everything was red and woozy and he was gonna fall soon but dad was awake an-

"Ya fuckin' brat!"

He stared at the older man as he got up, almost falling again and getting ready to launch at him.

His mind shut down as words formed on his lips, a smirkish-smile forming.

"Fuck you too."

With that, he brought the hand that had a proper hold on the gun and drew it over his shoulder, bringing it forward with a strength that he could only feel now, running through his veins, urging him on.

The crack of bone was what met his vicious blow and he staggered from the weight of it, sideways as his father fell, limp, to the floor.

He stared at the gun that was held gently in his hand, eyes wide as he realized that he had just pistol-whipped his father. Actually hit him with the gun. And the man was out _cold._

His gaze turned on the unconscious man and he stared at the bleeding, rugged face of the man who had made his life a living hell ever since his mother and Shizuka left, his bewildered expression slipping into a calm and cool one.

That's right. This man had practically just killed him. In cold blood. He had let all of those things happen to him, every little thing that shaped him into who he was today. A pathetic son of a sexual, almost murdering, predator.

Slowly, he lifted _his _gun and stared at it, shaking away the spots in his vision before aiming it at the man on the ground.

When he spoke, his voice was soft and almost caring, cooing at the bleeding male as he centered the gun to his head. There must have been one bullet left. At least one.

"Dad, I know ya never liked me that much, but I thought ya cared a little, ya know? Enough to keep me alive and housed and all that. I thought 'Why else would he do that? Why not just throw me out on the street?'. Well…" The blonde smirked, bringing up his uninjured hand to swipe the hair out of his eyes. He missed and ended up touching air instead. "I guess it was just to get some ass, right?"

He felt his finger squeeze on the trigger, his demon celebrating as he stumbled and centered the gun on the man's forehead.

The only thing keeping him from fully squeezing the trigger was a small, almost unheard, voice in the back of his mind.

_You still love him, no matter what he's done to you._

The delusional teen paused and then giggled, very much like his father had done. "No, I don't!"

_Yes, you do._

"He tried to kill me!" He whimpered, sounding as if he was saying why he took his sister's toy away instead of saying why he was going to kill his father to an invisible person.

_You'll be no worse than him._

This made him pause and he sighed, gun coming off where it had been pointed at the man's head to wave around in a random direction. "No, Yug', I haven't molested anyone yet. But I'm my father's son, so I will eventually."

_No, Jou! You aren't your father, you can do something with yourself!_

His face become stone cold and he centered the barrel at his father's forehead, face beginning to contort into a much more pleasant version of his father's earlier expression.

A minute of thought and he scowled, deciding whether to kill Yugi-voice-of-reason or his dad. A moment of black in front of his eyes before he spoke, voice snarling.

"Shut up, leave me alone."

"Jou!"

The voice was real this time, and when he whipped around, he saw Kaiba staring at him, gun pointed lifelessly at his father.

All voice of reason, anger, and thought disappeared as soon as he saw the brunet. A grin was plastered on his face as his expression brightened, voice conveying anything but what was about to happen.

"Hey Kaiba. Nice of ya ta come see me!"

And then he promptly blacked out.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

OMG CAN YOU SAY CLIMAX!111123

Yes X3. This was a very difficult chapter to write because I had to squeeze so much drama into one little chapter, and I still think it didn't convey what I had originally planned ..

But, anyway, I got it done between exams, work, babysitting, visiting friends, paying bills, etc etc! PLUS I WENT THROUGH A WICKED WRITER'S BLOCK TO GET THIS DONE. God XD Be happy and appreciative, will y'all? XP

Ya, it's past 12 on a school night. But I beta'd it (albeit badly) and put it out. So, please, leave a review XD.

A chapter, then an epilogue, then THE STORY IS FINISHED. Aren't y'all happy? XD BUT! **_(IMPORTANT)_** THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL. If I get enough reviews, that is XP.

So, love me up and send me reviews! ALL IS REVEALED NEXT CHAPTER.

Byuuuu XP.


	15. Confessionsx2

This Is The Ending Chapter.

Of course, there will be a EPILOGUE to tie up loose ends. But… Yes.

The song is the rejected title of this fic, 'If All Else Fails' by Matchbook Romance, even though it might have ultimately been better for this fic than the opposing title 'When All Else Fails' by John Farnham. But… Yes. I ultimately chose Johnny there because it speaks about Jou's unconscious search for someone that will listen and be there for him.

On with the story.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi! But I do own the plot X3.

**WARNING: **This contains alotta shounen-ai and alotta Yaoi . Meaning boyxboy shit. Fuck off if you find it offensive.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O- Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one's a dream and which one's real, right?

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! I will now not give personalized reviews, because this story has reached over 100 reviews, on this site and others! Plus, we aren't allowed to do it anymore! But thank you for supporting me despite the lack of updates!

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 15**

_A subdued silence undisturbed by the sound of her breath.  
So carefully, brush her hair back from her eyes  
In steady sequence, one by one.  
She slips away. _

So close your eyes and sleep to dream.  
I'm by your side.  
No words to speak.  
We'll set our course and make it through.  
No matter how far I go my heart remains with you.

And I'm not sure what I'm looking for.  
But it's clear to see the purpose of my existence Is laying here in front of me.

So close your eyes and sleep to dream.  
I'm by your side.  
No words to speak.  
We'll set our course and make it through.  
No matter how far I go

And if all else fails you can look up at the sky  
Because it's the same one that shines above you and I.  
And if all else fails you can close your eyes  
And I'll be right beside you.  
I'll be the one by your side.

So close your eyes and sleep to dream.  
I'm by your side.  
No words to speak.  
We'll set our course and make it through.  
No matter how far I go  
No matter how much this hurts  
I wanted you to know,  
My heart remains with you.  
- If All Else Fails, by Matchbook Romance

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

When he woke up, he woke up with a strangled scream and the thought that his left arm was chopped off because he couldn't _fucking feel it_.

The reason he had screamed was lost on him. He had never woke up screaming before. There was nothing to scream about either, besides his left arm being gone.

So, when he opened his eyes and met the much thankful sight of his left arm, though securely bandaged to his side and red in a couple of spots, it took a split second to comprehend what happened.

Immediately, a flood of thoughts broke through the haze that was his still asleep mind.

_Dadgun9mmconfessionangerslowmovekickkickSHOOTSHOOTbangbangholyshitkillhimkillhim Kaiba._

His right arm came to clutch at his forehead as he gritted his teeth, a low, keening whine escaping his throat as he remembered the events that had happened in rapid succession.

All in… less than a day. How could your life change that drastically in such a short amount of time!

He felt a great sadness, regret, pity, _something _that twisted in his heart and made his stomach feel like it was being stabbed, wash over him and enveloping him in a uncomforting hold.

Another low, keening whine and he realized that he was breathing hard.

_BleedingshoulderarmhandstraightthroughohnohitfallowwYugispeakingsmilingitsscaryand-_

Rustling sheets at the end of the bed suddenly broke his thought process, and his eyes widened as he realized that he wasn't alone in the room, and that his left foot was brushing someone's hair.

He looked towards the source of much-needed distraction and sucked in a breathe, lungs almost bursting with all of the air he had trapped in himself.

The only thing he could see was brown hair, since the face was turned towards the foot of the bed, but he knew without a second thought that that was Kaiba sitting at the foot of his bed, hair brushing his foot, sleeping, _there_.

_That's right. He was there, wasn't he?_

Glad that his thought processes seemed to be working _properly_, not in run-on sentences that he couldn't understand well, he stared at the brunet sleeping at the foot of his bed.

The vague recollection of Kaiba's face floated in his mind, a mixture of surprise, confusion, and panic. He snorted to himself. Yeah. Kaiba, panicked? It was probably his imagination. Or the loss of blood.

He forced the unwanted images of last night - two, three nights? He didn't know. - out of his mind in fear of having a panic attack or something of the like. Right now, what was important was Kaiba, head resting on his arms at the foot of his bed.

… He _really _couldn't grasp the fact that was _really _Kaiba 'at the foot of his bed', could he?

Speaking of which, he was in a hospital bed. Which meant he was at the hospital.

… He was _so_ not observant after being asleep. Or shot. He couldn't tell which one made him so dumb after waking up.

Speaking of which, again, he'd been shot 3 times, in the span of, what, two weeks?

… Alright. He needed to get going with his life.

The realization of the acknowledgement that his life was becoming dangerous stunned Jou, as well as the fact that he was stalling all actions towards Kaiba-at-the-foot-of-his-bed. Not purposely, of course!

Or maybe. What would you do in an awkward meeting with the guy who saved you from killing y-

Ok. Waking sleeping beauty over there was probably a better path to go down than the one he was about to go down.

Slowly and surely (only because his fucking shot wounds were already screaming. He needed drugs, or something that would put him to sleep), he kicked the blanket off and got on his knees, crawling one-handed over to the brunet, who was still currently sleeping.

He was about to shake the other awake (on his stomach, hand stretched out and everything. God, he felt sorry for people with only one arm), when his arm stalled of it's own accord and his eyes fell silently to the top of the head of the guy who he was in like with.

… He was coming to too much realizations today.

First, how (and when, for that matter!) had he started liking Kaiba?

A recollection of the past week flew by on his head like a bird on cocaine, and he choked as he realized that Kaiba had been pretty much flirting him.

Even faster than a bird on cocaine was the realization that he had been flirting right _back_.

Two, why would he like Kaiba?

He slapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a yawn as he thought. Ok, so, besides the hot body, the killer blue eyes, the way he looked on a motorbike, the fun he had had on that one 'date', the way he had let him explode on him from all the stress, the killer dueling skills, his passion for everything (though, a somewhat cold passion that didn't show much), the loving way he doted on his brother, the way he was so fucking responsible and everything about everything, and the fact that he was something Jou wanted to be when he grew out of being a kid?

… The blond decided that he had just answered his own question in one long run-on string of thoughts.

And, sure, he had established this before, but he wasn't in the right state of mind! It hadn't hit him like it was hitting him now! Goddamn fucking mind!

Moving on, he tried to word question number 3, which was just on the tip of his tongue.

He almost bit his tongue clear off when it finally showed itself, all flashy letters and big signs and a proclaiming haughtiness that declared he was the dumbest ass of the century.

Question number 3: Why shouldn't he like Kaiba?

His mind answered quickly so he wouldn't put a steel-blocked, barb-wired fortress around the apocalyptic question.

The guy was nice to him. He was a jack ass to him. He did things no one would ever do. He stayed away from things everyone else would do. He was full frontal with him. He showed in secret ways what he was thinking. He helped him. He made sure he helped himself. He made him feel happy. He made him hope he was making Kaiba happy.

And, once and for all, he hadn't been bugged (ok, maybe a little, but no more than usual when it came to the guy) about Kaiba popping up everywhere during the last few shit-faced weeks, while he had snapped on his best friends for coming close to him.

Which connected to the place in his brain that told him that the tall CEO had been there for him and had made him smile and forget and all those other things during the time he was feeling like complete and utter shit.

He stared at Kaiba's head and felt like he had just attained all the knowledge in the world.

Another yawn escaped him and the information he had just come to grasp now hit him like a full freight train.

God. Knowledge made you sleepy. He wondered what Kaiba felt like all the time, with all that smart stuffed in his brain.

He turned over and squinted at the still-unmoving head of hair that was Kaiba.

The guy was an asshole. Just busting in here and taking up all of Jou's sleeping space like he owned the place.

With a snicker and the thought that he had made a stupid rhyme and that he was really too sleepy to be even thinking like that, he dropped his head on his good arm and closed his eyes.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

This time, he woke up to the sensation of someone staring at him and the feeling of an itchy blanket being pulled over him.

And he smelled coffee. Yum.

Squirming, Jou rolled over onto his back, taking the blanket with him and grunting out a 'fuck-off, Honda, give me 5'.

A snort and he squinted his eyes open, cursing the sun that decided to be extra super-duper-happy-bright to piss him off.

Fucking sun.

He decided to roll over again, so his back would be facing the wall and he'd be sleeping on his left arm (he hit people, specifically Honda, better with his right).

That decision was quickly banished as he twitched towards rolling over and his fucking arm w_as burning GOD DAMN IT ALL TO HELL._

A yelp and he shot up, regretting the decision as soon as his forehead made contact with something that was bone and not air.

"Stupid mother fucking cunt licking ass fucking Honda, you piece of shit asshole, don't lean over me like that!"

"That's a nice way to be referring to your friend, isn't it? Never mind that I'm not Honda."

The voice was dry and he groaned, all from the pain of his left arm and his now bruised forehead, as well as the comprehension of not being in his room, the window wasn't on that side of the wall anyway, and that the guy wasn't Honda.

Hospital. Sleeping. Kaiba. Riiiiiiight.

"Well, excuse me, I can wake up screaming out cusswords when my fucking arm feels like it's on fire and there's no water in a 50 mile radius, can't I?"

He squinted up at the passive brunet, who he glared openly at as he rubbed his red forehead.

Any potential of an awkward silence was quickly annihilated at Jou's haughty accusation.

"You shouldn't lean over people like that, you asshole."

…

Ok, that potential was full force and blooming right about now. Yep. Right about now.

Stupid fucking Kaiba. Who was just standing there. Staring at him. Doing nothing. Just star-

He was going to drive himself crazy.

Again, the silence was broken by the blond, who had quit rubbing his forehead and was leaning back on his one good arm and trying to avoid the reason why he couldn't use his left arm expertly.

"You-… You're making me nervous! Geez! Sit down or something."

… He was being awkward.

… He also had his shirt off.

With that, the blond made a sort of squeak and scrambled as far away from the brunet as possible, picking up the discarded blanket and throwing it over himself oh-so-gracefully.

Another silence as Jou struggled with the blanket and his embarrassment.

He was in front of the guy who he had realized he did have a big, fucking amazing crush on as-of-a-few-hours ago (or whenever he first woke up was). If the dreams hadn't been a big blinking arrow towards that, he snorted at himself as he fell on his back, than he was a dunce.

A sigh and he felt an arm on his, and the voice with it floating through the single sheet as easily as water. "Here, stop moving."

His body seemed to be working against him today, because it froze instantly at Kaiba's touch and voice, and the blanket slowly came off to wrap around his shoulders and reveal Kaiba's startling blue eyes and startling close face.

He stuffed the small 'Eep!' coming up from his throat and instead gulped, staring at the face of his as-of-now torturer.

Kaiba just coughed in amusement at his expression and simply said "I wouldn't like to wake up with you if you were like _this _in the morning."

He continued to stare at Kaiba after hearing what the blue-eyed teen had just said, who also realized what he had just said, and also turned around to stalk towards the only available chair, which was all of two feet away.

…

More awkward silence.

This wasn't driving him crazy. This was driving him fucking _insane_.

A quick observation that Kaiba's chin was red (Hah. Motherfucker. Served him right for standing over him and making him feel so weird).

Kaiba's stubborn blue gaze towards the machines that were monitoring his heart (and he had no clue how the IV he had in his good arm would stay in after all his moving around).

The clock ticking.

…

"Ok, yeah, Ummm…" His own outburst startled him and he blinked, knowing he was going to have to ask Kaiba something, if anything. Sure, he had a million questions, some of which weren't all that appropriate, like the never-caring, straight-to-your-face, question o-

"Why are you here, anyway?"

… The blew everything out of the water. Out of the pan, and into the fire. Or something like that.

Kaiba's stare turned on him and it almost made him hide under the carefully placed sheet.

A brunet was scary after you asked really rude questions.

"I'm here because the police asked me too wait for some questioning."

He stared uncertainly at the taller boy, who was staring unwaveringly back, as if daring him to question his answer.

He also stared like that that one time on the rooftop when they kissed.

Blinking, Jou realized he had thought that whole thing without stopping it halfway through because of embarrassment and not-wanting-to-think-about-it.

Which ended up embarrassing the blonde duelist enough to look away from the guy who he had kissed on a rooftop.

…If his arm wasn't holding him up, he would have hit himself. Physically. And very hard.

More silence.

…This was a fucking weird and uncomfortable day.

"Ummm…."

Again, his mouth was working against him. Before he even had his thoughts and question in a straight order. Stupid fucking piece of shit he called his brain!

"…Thanks, I guess?"

He mumbled the gratitude without even realizing what he was saying thanks for.

_Dear God, please don't let Kaiba to have heard that._

"Pardon?"

…Well, fuck God, the almighty deity had always hated him, anyways!

His tone was defensive when he spoke, and he refused to look at the teen, instead deciding that the sun wasn't stupid and a good distraction from this possibly embarrassing moment. "I said thanks! Geez, deaf much?"

Not even a moment passed before Kaiba spoke. "For what?"

This time, he ignored the sun and any distraction and snapped his eyes to Kaiba, brown eyes smoldering. "Christ, you just want to know I actually thanked you! Fuck's sake."

Realizing he was taking out built-up frustration on the taken back brunet, he stared off to the side again, hand twisting in the bed sheets. "Umm, sorry for that. Pent up shit, and… yeah…"

He paused, scrambling for a reason for his gratitude, then spoke again. His voice was almost quiet enough so he, himself, couldn't hear it. "Thanks for saving me. From… shooting my dad and all. And for helping me in the last few weeks. And taking me out for lunch…"

He was on a roll, so why stop now?

"… And for going easy on me when they found me in your trash heap. And for being nice enough to not pester me or treat me a lot differently than you used to. And for not judging me. And for saving me, again, because that deserves double thanks, right?"

He let out a mirthless laugh, taking a moment to reflect on what he had said and gave thanks for. And than took the jump to suicide as he dished out his last thank-you-to-Kaiba of the day, because he might have been really fucking stupid for doing so, but at least he got it off his chest and could blame everything on stress and over-tiredness from the last few weeks.

"And for not asking about why I kissed you on the rooftop and why I kissed you in the elevator and all that other junk."

A split second pause would have probably made his head explode, so he kept on talking, unaware of the gaze Kaiba had set on him.

"And, ya gotta know Kaiba, since I seem to be confessing a lot and all. I blame it on the stuff they have in me. But, uh, thanks… for… being… helpful. You…"

Did he dare to take the jump into a suicide he wouldn't be able to get out of, ever?

Luckily, his mind agreed he was suicidal in the aspect and full-forced pushed him of the edge.

Of course, he stumbled a few steps on the way.

"… That is… Umm…. You're a really likeable guy when you… um, want to be? And… that… I don't know if you'll like this, or not, because, ya know, we're both guys and all… But… umm… In the past few weeks… I kinda started liking you… and… yeah. I like you. Big fucking confession number 2, hope you had a recorder, because I am not saying that. Ever. Again."

The silence he wouldn't let happen did happen, and he was sure his face was on fire. Not his arm, his face. His arm could be chopped off right now and he probably wouldn't notice, so focused on Kaiba's answer and the fact that the sun was too happy-super-fucking-duper shiny again.

Fucking sun.

…

Fucking silence.

And fuck Kaiba, too, if he didn't like what he had said! It was his feelings, Kaiba had no control over that! He had control over nothing of him! Ok, maybe a little part of him, but nothing else! So, fuck Kaiba, fuck him to every circle of hell that existed and back, because he was too silent and fucking stupid and close-minded!

… He shouldn't have said anything, either. Really, was he that fucking stupid!

"Jounouchi?"

The voice (which was either really loud or really close, and he did not just imagine the weight on the bed closer to him. No he did not.) interrupted his ranting of how the person who spoke could go fuck himself, and he turned towards it.

Then blinked as Kaiba's mouth came into contact with his and every little part of his body and mind shut down.

It was a slow kiss, a few seconds, just contact, like two other kisses before, and when Kaiba backed away and went so sit back in his seat, Jounouchi stared.

And stared.

And stared.

And then coughed lightly and grinned behind the hand that was covering his 'cough'.

"So… That means what?"

If all the knowledge in the world felt incredible, this was feeling fucking well Unbelievably Incredible. In capital letters.

"You're more of an idiot than I expected if you haven't figured it out."

The voice was, again, dry, but all tension that had been there before was suddenly gone. Disappeared. Poof. And Kaiba sounded good like that.

A few more 'coughs' and he lowered his hand, still not able to control the grin that had overtaken his face.

"I resent that, ya know."

Kaiba just smirked at him in response, crossing his arms over his stomach and visually relaxing.

He hadn't even noticed how much tension had been in the room before Kaiba had kissed him, really. And since Kaiba liked him and all…

Holy shit, Kaiba liked him. _Back_.

His mind was being _so_ fucking slow on the uptake that it was a wonder he wasn't put under 'world's biggest moron' in the record book!

"Holy shit, you like me back!"

… Apparently, his mouth was much faster than his brain. World's biggest Moron and Fastest Motor-Mouth, Think-Before-Talking Guy was reserved for him in the record book.

The brunet stared at him as if he was stupid (which he was) and tensed almost visibly again, as if the blond had realized that the feelings he had were disgusting (never mind the fact that he had them _first_), and wanted to kick him square between the legs.

A silence. Another silence, actually.

Jou looked away and silently counted.

5 seconds… 10 seconds…

"Ah, I mean, you like me! Yeah, ummm…."

"Idiot."

"Huh!"

"Yes, Jounouchi. I _like_ you, even though it must be a hard concept to grasp."

"…"

It was a bigger surprise when Kaiba actually said it _aloud_.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the brunet teen was paler than usual and had bags under his eyes. And his hair was really messy. And his clothes were wrinkly. And… A bunch of other things that wouldn't have been appropriate for any child, no matter what age and no matter if said child had heard it before, to hear.

"Why do ya look so messed, anyway?"

… He was… just going to stop acknowledging the fact that his mouth ran faster than his brain. Fuck, if his brain was in a race car and his mouth was walking, his mouth would still probably beat the stupid shit he called his brain.

Kaiba didn't seem to take this abrupt and rude question as offensive, but instead let his shoulders relax. Again. The guy was a freakin' tense-box, was what he was.

"You've been here for the last three days."

… Which didn't really explain why Kaiba looked so haggard (but still fuckable, his mind added mischievously. He forcefully shoved it down the toilet and flushed).

"Sooooooo?"

… Kaiba was staring at him like he was stupid again.

Nonetheless, the brunet patiently gave his answer, though his voice was a bit quieter than his usually loud and demanding voice.

"So, I've been here keeping you company."

…

He had the big urge to scream 'Aaaawwww!', tackle Kaiba to the floor, and smother him with kisses.

Instead, he grinned widely and snickered. "Aw, Seto has a soft spot!"

Kaiba stared at him.

He stared back, grinning, until Kaiba talked.

"Did you just call me 'Seto'?"

…

Why yes. Yes he did.

"Why, I think I did, _Seto._" He stayed grinning. "Do you have a problem with that, _Seto_?"

Kaiba (Or Seto, as he was calling him now) looked like he could have been aggravated and beat the shit out of him, but instead looked perplexed at the new turn of events.

Jou grinned at the confused brunet. Served him right for being a fu… Umm… Asshole?

Well… Kaiba had _saved _him. From abuncha things. So… Not an asshole… An… umm…

It was Jou's turn to look confused, trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to think of Ka… _Seto _as, while the brunet had a tiny smirk on his face at his confused expression.

"Alright, _Jou."_

"Huh!"

"_Jou_. If you call me 'Seto', I get to call you 'Jou'."

…

"What if I call you Pookie instead?"

_Seto _(hah. Got it.) looked very, _very _surprised at that. As if he didn't expect _that _to come out of the blonde duelist's mouth.

Seems like the cobalt-eyed teen needed to learn a few things about him, after all. _Stalker_.

_Hah! Got his new… name. The mean kinda name._

Jou grinned at his revelation and at Seto's face, which had slowly turned into a smirk-scowl. That looked way sexier on him than on anyone else he had ever known.

"You won't like the consequence of what happens if you _ever _call me that."

Jou took a second to look horrified, than let the expression melt into that of a smirk.

"Hmm, what kinda 'consequence' would this be? Suffocate me?"

… He did not like Kaiba's smirk right there. It looked kinda… Evil. Feral.

And he _did_ need to get used to calling the guy Seto.

The brunet suddenly got up and leaned into his bed, centimeters away from where he was sitting and maybe an inch away from his face

"Suffocation doesn't sound like a bad idea."

It took a second for him to realize what Seto was doing.

Something that almost horrified him to no end, but turned him on incredibly at the same time.

Seto was making _playfully romantic or sexual overtures_.

Seto was _flirting._

The tall teen seemed to take his silence as a rejection because he slowly started pulling back, face melting back into that of a cold, emotionless CEO.

Well, until Jou grabbed the front of his shirt with his free hand and smirked back.

"It does, doesn't it?"

Kaiba's… Seto's little smirk returned full force and they leaned in together, taking a second to breathe each other's air before kissing.

And, _God_, kissing felt good.

Their mouths moved simultaneously together, parting only briefly for short intakes of air before they pressed their lips together.

He was _just_ about to open his mouth to Kaiba, who had been brushing his tongue against Jou's lip, when they both heard a cough from the door and jerked apart, both blushing horribly like bad school children caught doing something naughty.

Fuji grinned back at both of them.

"Mm, Jou? Your friends are here."

And, to Jou's horror, he saw Yugi, Anzu, Honda, _and_ Shizuka all standing outside the door, looking shocked and a whole lot of 'what the shit!'.

Oh. Fuck.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

After the initial shock of seeing the two 'enemies' making out on the blonde's bed, they both answered as many questions regarding their relationship as they could. Well, actually, _Jou_ answered as much as he could (after putting a hospital gown on, handed to him by a snickering Fuji), while Kaiba made sure Jou didn't say too much and gave in little tidbits to help the story along.

According to Jou and Kaiba, Kaiba had been going to the roof of the school for the past few weeks, same as Jou. And since Jou started stealing Kaiba's food all the time, Kaiba and him just started eating together. And then they went out once together. And when Kaiba was going over to Jou's house for another one of those times, he had seen the blond and the old man unconscious. So he'd call the police and the ambulance. And that was what had happened.

The truth seemed believable, so no one questioned it (except Fuji, but that was to be expected. He was the nurse in charge of Jou and all his records, after all).

After the tale of how Kaiba had found him was over, there was mixed reactions about their new 'relationship'.

Yugi was happy and hugged him tenderly, glad that the rivalry and horrible events regarding Jou's father was over, and that they could all be friends again.

Shizuka was squealing about her big brother falling in love, and falling over in worry about her big brother's health.

Honda was happy and relieved for him, and told him straight away that he was ok with Jou being gay and all that. Both of them (meaning Jou and Kaiba) glared at him to shut up, and the other brunet seemed to get the message and shut up.

Anzu was squealing with Shizuka, since none of the boys were as excited as Shizuka was, and Anzu didn't want her to feel left out (never mind that she was happy too).

And Fuji?

Fuji was grinning wildly, eyes shifting over all of the occupants in the room.

Jou and Kaiba were dealing with it one minute at a time, Jou trying to quell the excited girls and Kaiba making sure that the blond wasn't straining himself.

After everyone quieted down, they chatted pleasantly until the injured teen started feeling sleepy from the medication they were still feeding to him through the IV.

That's when Fuji ushered them all out, Shizuka lingering by the door to have a last word with Jou before all the other's left.

Never mind that the only CEO in the room was staying firmly put in his chair by Jou's bed.

Once everyone was gone but Shizuka and Kaiba, Fuji standing by the door to usher them out in another minute, the brunet girl rushed over to her brother's bed.

It was only when she was close enough did he see tears in Shizuka's eyes.

Alarmed, Jou's arm went up and wrapped around Shizuka's shoulder as soon as she was close enough to him.

"Shizzy! What's wrong, huh!"

'Shizzy' sniffled into his shirt, hands clenching in the itchy fabric as she held back her tears. "Oh, Jou! I was so scared when I head that you were in the hospital! I haven't even heard of about Daddy's charges, and the last thing I heard was Honda calling me on a cell and saying that Kaiba was taking you to the hospital for blacking out at school…"

… Wait. Kaiba? Huh!

"Kaiba?"

They both looked up at him, wearing identical expressions of confusion on their faces (Seto's being much more subdued because… Well, he was _Kaiba_). Than Jou decided that changing the subject was appropriate, considering that…

"You haven't heard about Pop's arrest! At all!"

She shook her head sadly, eyes still misty and hands still clinging to his shirt. "Well, Jou, I live in another city, and I haven't read the paper in awhile because Mum has been reading it really fast lately and throwing it out right away… Than she always tells me to go do my homework while the news is on, and I know not to disobey her…"

Jou narrowed his eyes at this new information. So, mother dearest was trying to block her daughter from seeing what was happening to father?

… Well, yeah, it might have been a good idea if Jou didn't approve of keeping things from your children and all.

The few seconds of Jou's silence passed before he visibly relaxed and kissed Shizuka's forehead, hugging her as best he could with one arm.

"Ya know, it might have been a good thing if you didn't know, but it still doesn't make mum right."

Shizuka pouted. "I'm not a kid anymore, Jooou!"

Her brother grinned. "So says the kid with a pout on her face."

She huffed. He grinned.

It was a happy atmosphere until Fuji broke in, a small smile on his face. Even then, the atmosphere only dampened a little. "Sorry guys. Visiting time is over."

Shizuka slowly got off the bed, leaning in to give him a quick peck on the forehead. "You'd better get better soon, Jooou!"

The injured brown-eyed boy just laughed at her, making shooing motions with his good arm. "Ok, ok, Shizzy! Get home safe, ooook?"

The younger teen grinned, walking out backwards. "Will do! See you, brother!"

Fuji placed a hand on her shoulder as she turned around, stopping her in her tracks as he paused to laugh silently at the two.

"I'll give you two lovebirds a minute or so, ok? Then you gotta go!"

Shizuka giggled and Fuji grinned, leaning on her halfheartedly as they walked out together.

After they were gone, the blonde's grin fled off his face and he whirled on Seto, leaning in as much he could in his state. "You!"

Kaiba blinked. "Me?"

"You're the one that carried me to the hospital!"

… Kaiba was staring at him as if he was stupid.

That means that Jou had the legal right to call him an asshole.

Asshole.

"Yes, I was. Who else could it have been?"

… Jou took the time to get over his shock at such a blunt… well, it wasn't a confession. The blunt _answer_.

"Uuuuh, Honda?"

… Still staring.

Asshole. With Capital Letters.

"Who else has a voice like mine?"

"…"

"You lost consciousness right after I told everyone to get out of the way. Your pupils went dilated, you body went limp, and your breathing became regular."

Jou blinked at him.

Was the guy a freaking first aid book or something?

Kaiba stared back at him, face expressionless.

"… Uuuhhhh… Anything else ya wanna tell me now?"

Only thing he could say, and he didn't expect anything to come out of it, but since Kaiba was just full of surprises…

He looked embarrassed. Or as embarrassed as he could look. Which kinda looked cute.

He mentally slapped himself so he'd focus on Seto's opening mouth.

… Mmm. Yummy images.

He slapped himself mentally again.

Kaiba's face was less embarrassed after he pulled himself forcefully from his trip to the gutter and focused on him, and Kaiba's first words seemed to come out of nowhere and were a bit surprising, since Kaiba (_Seto! SETO_) seemed the type to not make random comments.

"You still have the $68, 000. I doubt you'll use that for your father anymore."

… So Kaiba knew he had that much.

He snorted at the brunet. "I know I can keep it. I'll probably move into some apartment, or something like that. I just need to get it from your recycling bin and all."

The blond frowned at that thought, worried that someone had taken it, but then grinned because he knew that Seto would track down the money if he asked nicely. Or did something '_nice_' for him.

… Dragging one's self from the gutter was fucking easier said than done, that was for sure.

But back to Seto.

He blinked at the other teen then shrugged, reaching his hand to scratch the back of his neck as a new idea popped into his head, involving 'tracking down'.

"Ummm… Seeeeto?"

The taller boy looked at him, silently giving him a 'what?'.

"Can you… track down the guy that gave me the money, too? I wanna properly thank him an' all… Or, if he wants it, give the money back. Wouldn't be nice ta just… not do anything and take the money, now that I dun _really _need it, right? And…"

… And Seto was staring at him as if he was stupid. Or in serious need of a reality check.

Which was starting to piss him off. He was not a fucking idiot, damn it!

"Are you stupid or just mentally handicapped?"

"What! Why the Fu-"

"_I_gave you the money, idiot. You would have figured that out if you used what little brain power you have."

…. _Holy shit_, that was even more surprising than Kaiba saying something fucking random.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… …"

Kaiba was probably getting pissed off at him with his fish expressions and lack of answers.

… So, he was an idiot after all.

"But… Uh! Holy shit! Why? I mean… What? You gave me the money? _Why_?"

The tall brunet looked like he didn't want to answer, if his expression gave anything off. But, regardless, Jou knew that Kaiba knew that he wouldn't give up until he got a stupid fucking answer.

"Plenty of reasons."

… Well, if that wasn't vague, he didn't know what was! He wanted a _real_ fucking answer, damn it!

"Give me a _real _answer, you asshole!"

Tall brunet still not wanting to answer + a very confused and getting-angry blond ugly words and a very, very messed-up blond thought process.

And Brunet seemed to be getting the fact that Blond would hurt Blonde's self if Blond didn't get good answers.

Which was a big no-no for Brunet.

With a sigh, Kaiba started a probably-long explanation.

"I like you. I wanted to help you out. I know that you hold your family and friends in high regard. I have money. Therefore, I gave money to help you out so you could help your father, even if it was only for bail."

… Ok. Not so long.

It still worked a hell of a lot better than 'plenty of reasons'.

A split second and Jou was up and off the bed, getting onto his knees in front of a very startled Kaiba.

"What the hell are you doing, Jou!"

Jou looked up at him and then stooped his head, his one good hand in front of him as he bowed low to the ground.

"Thank you very much, Kaiba-san. I am indebted to your kindness."

When he looked up at the brunet, said brunet was staring at him oddly. As if he had sprouted 2 extra heads and was singing a song only a quartet could sing, and doing it _well_.

He was also probably a sight to behold, arm strapped to his side, ass in the air, greasy hair falling over his face, clad in only boxers and a hospital gown.

_Damn_, he must have been attractive at the moment.

He snickered to himself, still in the bowed position.

Ok, he could just pass this off as a joke, because he probably looked stupid and every bit of the idiot Seto dubbed him. The guy would probably take it as a joke, anyway. Even though he had planned to do this to the guy that had given him the money, the guy had turned out to be his boyf-

Ok. He wasn't ready to call Kaiba a… that yet.

A short chuckle came from above him and brown-eyes peeked up, surprised 'cuz Kaiba was _laughing_.

The short chuckle soon became a long chuckle, but it stopped there. It was a pleasant sound, as if it had come from hibernation and had been longing to come out.

Which it probably had been. But, shit, Seto sounded nice.

In between the nice sound of Seto being happy, a short sentence wormed it's way through the noise.

"No need."

… Ok. He didn't know if Seto had taken that as a joke, or as him being serious.

He grinned nonetheless and sat up, in a seiza position, and let his grin widen as he saw Kaiba staring back at him, a tiny smile chewing at the corners of his mouth.

A second of them staring at each other, grinning (while, on Jou's part, almost-smiling on Kaiba's), the blond shuffled forward on his knees and laid his good arm across the brunet's legs, shifting so he was sitting on his butt instead of his legs and was leaning most of his weight on Kaiba's legs.

The image could have been picture perfect if it wasn't for Jou's grumbling.

"Go get me a hotdog, 'kay? I'm hungry. Go get it from Ed's Hotdogs too. They have the best hotdogs. And I don't care if the hospital tries kicking you out."

The tall CEO raised an eyebrow at the odd and random request. If he was bothered by the shorter duelist's closeness and touchy-feely-ness, he didn't show it.

His voice was amused when he spoke. "Why can't I just go get a hotdog from the cafeteria? And should you be even making requests like that, in the position you're in?"

The blond shot him an offended look from where he was resting, almost snickering. "Ch, are you kidding? Those things are infested with bad stuff that other patients can't handle! They wouldn't sell them here."

A pause, than a slightly perkier voice. "And in the position I'm in, I think I get the right to make some high-quality demands here, Kaiba-boy."

A snort and a small, held-back laugh. "Pervert."

Jou got up from his position, sending an even more offended (if not fake and playful) glare at the smirking CEO. "Who said I even meant anything perverted by that, huh, Seto! Geez, whose the real pervert here!"

Kaiba just snorted, and Jou whapped his leg with his good hand and let his expression melt into a goofy grin. "Now, go get me my hotdog."

"Idiot."

"You like it."

The taller teen just held back any retort he had on the tip of his tongue and Jou scooted back to let the CEO get up.

A split second's hesitation before the brunet reached a hand out and ruffled the blond hair of his companion, who whacked his hand away and glared at him.

The CEO just smirked and strolled towards the door, giving a back-hand wave to the patient. "I'll be back soon."

Jou grinned. "Fine. Hurry up though!"

His demands chased the CEO out the door and down the hall, and once he was sure the brunet was gone, he slumped against the bed and threw a hand over his face.

… This was almost too much to take in.

A second more on the floor before he realized his ass was getting cold, and he lifted himself up (begrudgingly, because he was comfy, Goddamn it!) and sat on the hospital bed. A bit of shifting and he was laying down again, propped up by pillows and the blanket thrown over him and up to his waist.

Jou decided to review all that he had gone through, and he physically curled his hands into fists and ticked off the numbers as they came to him.

1) He had finally, full-frontal admitted to himself that he liked Kaiba.

2) He had confessed this to said guy.

3) Said guy kissed him and confessed back.

4) Friends and sibling walk in and see said guy kissing him.

5) Reunion before finding out that Shizuka didn't know anything.

6) Learning Kaiba had saved his life, not Honda.

7) Learning Kaiba had given him all that money, not some random guy.

… And that was about it, all summed up into a nice little list.

Jou exhaled a loud breathe and slumped down in the comforters, closing his eyes and resting his head against the many pillows.

That was a lot. And the only question that he really needed answered was if Kaiba was his gay-equivalent-of-a-girlfriend (he didn't wanna associate the word with Kaiba right now, because this all seemed like a dream, and with his luck, it probably was one of his many dreams about the boy. Fucking Gods), and what had happened to his dad.

But that could all be answered later. Meds were kicking in. Are whatever was in the IV bag. Or something. It was making him sleepy, and he bet $1000 of the $68,000 he had gotten from Seto that he had been running on pure adrenaline and emotion.

Sleep sounded good right now.

So, Jou closed his eyes and slipped into sleep.

When Kaiba came back, a doggie-bag full of three hotdogs in one hand and a soda in the other, he was encountered with the sight of Jou, burrowed in pillows and with the sheet almost all off, asleep with a half-smile.

His face was expressionless as he set the food down on the side table, grabbed the blanket to pull it up on the sleeping boy, and sat down in the only chair to wait for him to wake up.

-------------------------------Owari/End-----------------------------------

Oh. My. God.

My first, big-ass, half-comedic, half-angst, alotta-drama-inbetween-that, multi-chaptered, baby is finished! After 1 and a 1/2 years (or something like that), IT'S FINISHED.

I'm staring at it in awe. I really am. This story did so well, and… it's finished.

Not much -real-live action, but holy shit, I hope the dreams made up for it.

But, yes, of course, there is going to be a EPILOGUE (capital letters so you'll read this), tying up the loose ends and such. And my sequel, which is of yet unnamed, is just working itself out in my head. I got the general plot idea down, and a few scenes planned out, as well as how it's going to end. Just working out kinks and adding to it.

All in all, I'm satisfied with this story, even if there's a lotta things wrong with it, and the characters were slightly OOC, and the situations were sometimes unreal and repetitive, and… And…

Holy shit. I can't complain because I'm in too much awe right now.

But, yes, I'll just end it before I start getting giddy and fluffy around the edges and explode before I make the sequel.

So, kindly await the EPILOGUE, and please tell me what you think XP.


	16. Yeah When All Else Fails

OMG.

Here it is. The Epi…

Eep.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi! But I do own the plot X3.

**WARNING: **This contains alotta shounen-ai and alotta Yaoi . Meaning boyxboy shit. Fuck off if you find it offensive.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O- Indicates end of scene. Because, c'mon, you can tell which one's a dream and which one's real, right?

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! I will now not give personalized reviews, because this story has reached over 100 reviews, on this site and others! Plus, we aren't allowed to do it anymore! But thank you for supporting me despite the lack of updates!

**When All Else Fails, Chapter 16**

_I'm searching for something  
That's so hard to find  
I'm falling down mountains  
I can't seem to climb  
Driving down highways  
That don't have an end  
I can't find the sign, am I lost again  
When all else fails - You will be there  
When all else fails - I'll hold on to you  
When all else fails - You'll still be there  
When all else fails - I'll turn to you  
I'm selfish and jealous  
I'm proud and a fool  
I'm walking with strangers  
And strangers are cruel  
I'm praying to gods  
That I don't even know  
I'm ready and willing  
Where do I go?  
When all else fails - You will be there  
When all else fails - I'll hold on to you  
When all else fails - You'll still be there  
When all else fails - I'll turn to you  
I know I might be mistake  
But it's the chance I'm taking  
I'm walking on the wire  
I have been burned by temptation  
I'm drawn into that fire  
I'm lost in my desire  
When all else fails - You will be there  
When all else fails - I'll hold on to you  
When all else fails - You'll still be there  
When all else fails - I'll turn to you  
_-_John Farnham_

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Don't look at him, Katsuya. Don't look at him and you'll be fine."

Those were the words Kaiba had spoken to him before the trail had began, and even if his voice was calm and wholly unaffected, the words had a twinge of anxiety in the way they were worded.

Funny that, after something like a week, he could tell when the brunet was worried.

The trail had gone well- no hitches, no disruptions, the judge was calm and fair and the jury wasn't judging him by his appearance.

(Probably because Kaiba had bought him a suit and said that Jou would have to pay him back later. He probably never would, even if he tried. The taller teen would probably brush it off and make Jou pay for pizza for the next week or something. So, in a way, he wouldn't really be paying.

Never the less, the suit looked slightly odd on him; one sleeve had no substance in it and the lapels were left open, since his arm was still attached to his side. That was doing okay, too. He had no infections or anything. Just the twitchy pain that came and went.)

And Mea, who had been found days later, beaten up and in her 'boyfriend's' apartment, had been confident and explained in full detail what had happened, not flinching for the descriptions she gave or from the horrible pain her face must have been causing her. She had another trial coming up soon, a much more important one then this, too. At any rate, he was glad she had been found.

Not to mention the fact that Kaiba had hired some investigators to help and find his friend.

There were plenty of rumors about him and Kaiba, too, of course; what with the big piggy-back ride incident and the fact that Kaiba had stayed by his side the entire time. But the brunet ignored them all, or made up elaborate (but believable) excuses for all the points the press threw at them. After a few days, the rumors had died down and the trial had began.

The rumors were probably picked up again when Kaiba had shown up with him, he was sure.

He tried not moving his arm as his sister clung to it desperately, causing the blood flow to cut off. He had to be strong, for her, at least.

They had decided to keep their relationship under wraps, until Mokuba ran the company, or they both decided that the world was comfortable enough with homosexuality to come out about it. He really hoped that day was soon.

He was generally an open person, yeah. He'd have shouted from the buildings roofs that he was dating Seto Kaiba, hottest millionaire on the planet and the greatest thing to happen since Duel Monsters. But since Kaiba liked his secrets, and since Jou… _loved_ him (he'd have to get used to the fact that he _loved_ Seto Kaiba, his ex-enemy), he was compliant with his boyfriend's demands.

Never mind the fact that he'd used some… _persuasive _methods.

As if the object of his thoughts knew what he was thinking, a small nudge was administered to his foot and he looked up curiously to the other boy, who stared straight ahead as the Judge spoke.

"We will take a recess so that the Jury can decide it's verdict and it's punishment for Mr. Okada Jounouchi. The trail will take place tomorrow morning, on November16th, at 11:00 am. You're all dismissed."

Before he (or his sister, who had her head stuffed into his shoulder) could look left, to the glass case where the offenders were kept, the older Jounouchi was led away and they were left sitting as everyone got up and shuffled out of the small courtroom.

They sat there for a few more seconds before Shizuka shivered, and it was only then that they stood up and left the courtroom.

The flashes of light from the cameras was numbing, to say the least- but, making sure that they were far apart, with the only contact between them being Shizuka's accidental bumping into the tall CEO, they filed into the limo silently, taking off without hesitation.

The ride to the hotel where Shizuka and their mom were staying at was entirely silent, only broken by the breathing and slight hitches of his sister's breath.

He felt bitter that mom hadn't felt the need to come and comfort her daughter on the day of her father's trail. Even if his mom hadn't wanted to see her ex-husband under the pretense that it was too painful to do so, it had been a very selfish decision on her part.

As soon as Jounouchi had seen Shizuka up to her room, made sure she was going to be OK, said goodbye because she _had_ to leave the next day, mother _had _to _work_, and got into the vehicle, the ever-silent brunet shifted his eyes towards the blond and ordered that the car be started, waiting until they had pulled out into the street before speaking.

"You weren't paying attention."

He chose to stay silent for this, snickering in the back of his mind about how the roles had been reversed. He was the silent asshole and Kaiba was the oh-so talkative one. At least he had _reasons _to be an asshole.

… Not that Kaiba didn't. But beside the point.

Kaiba's voice rang in his ear and he snuck a glance at him, noting that Kaiba was calmly sitting, poised and elegant, even if his whole body screamed 'tense!'.

"What were you thinking about?"

… Touchy-feely stuff. Eck.

He guessed he needed it though, right? His dad was going through a big ass trail and… well… At least the brunet was trying to _be_ there.

Not that he could say that for his mother or father.

The shorter teen took a moment to answer, and his voice was quiet. "You."

… Goddamn honesty! He sounded like he was… _in love _and sighing and all that lovey-dove crap.

Seto took it in a stride though, voice calm and collected and steady, as it always was. "What about me?"

_… Talkative today, aren't we, Kaiba?_

Another pause before he spoke.

"You're.. Always there! Not that's it's a _bad_ thing…" He said quickly, shifting his eyes to the streets of Domino instead of the boy who was sitting next to him. "But… You're always there. You are. It's different for me. And… Well… Shit. You're there."

… He wasn't a master of being articulate. No siree.

The blond held in a sigh or a scream of frustration, he didn't know which.

When the brunet 'hmm'ed', though, and they pulled up to the drive way, he felt like Seto knew what he was talking about, anyway.

The blue-eyed boy never ceased to amaze him with all that smart in his head.

When they got into Kaiba's house (mansion. Whatever), Jou immediately started walking to the room he was staying in, even if it was only 2:00 in the afternoon and he wasn't sleepy or tired, even if he _had _stayed up all night an-

A hand gently snagged his wrist and he and his thought process paused, looking back at the silent brunet who stared silently back at him.

Without a word, he let himself be taken to Kaiba's room, his hand relaxing and traveling down until he held the other's hand freely in his own.

Kaiba would never cease to amaze him, no. He looked at the back of the brunet's head and, all of a sudden, felt like sobbing. He didn't deserve this, Kaiba was too _good_ for him, ever-

As if he sensed Jou's distress, his lover turned around and pinned him with a stare that made his thoughts halt and his breathe quicken

Once inside the room, the tall teen locked the door and pushed him against the door, kissing his lips tenderly and holding both of his hands together. The blond thankfully gave into the kiss, melting and mind going blanker than it had been before.

This was one thing Kaiba was good for: taking his mind off anything, no matter what the case. He didn't want to think about his father's ugly face, staring at him hatefully from the glass, mouthing soundless obscenities and death threats-

Kaiba took his bottom lip into his mouth and he was fully distracted again, breathing through his nose as he pushed himself against the other.

Seto was eve-

The kiss got more passionate, hands flying away from each other to clutch something more solid, something to keep them both held down and together.

They stumbled towards the bed when Jou started to push Kaiba's suit jacket off, and, after a brief struggle to take off both of their shirts, they landed on the bed, Jou beneath the CEO and his right arm clutching his shoulder tight.

And, out of nowhere, a flash of what would happen to his dad came to him, in prison, lonely, dying without his family and being hated by many people… Crying and hating…

He let out a small gasp as Kaiba bit his neck lightly.

His thoughts were… they were-

Shutting his eyes, he arched up into his boyfriend, the sigh he let out sounding more of a pained whimper. He felt Seto hesitate.

Had his father ever thought he'd end up like this when he was younger? In prison for disrespecting women? He had seen a picture of his father when he was younger- handsome, smiling, fit, with his arm around two of his nameless friends. Had his father wanted to become this?

Seto seemed to finally realize that the sigh/whimper had been one of pain, but before he could lift his head and ask what was wrong, the blond slid his good arm around Kaiba's neck and firmly held it there.

"I-umm… sorry, I'm sorry…"

Without realizing it, Jou clutched his eyes shut and tried not to let any tears drop, despite the fact that his cheeks were already wet and dampening his lover's hair.

"Just… uh… Don't look at me, alright, Kaiba?… please?"

The other teen wrapped his arms around Jou silently in comfort, as if telling him that it was all going to be ok (with 'maybe' fading in the background).

It was only when Jou finally fell asleep before the brunet sighed, not even bothering to lift his head and instead rolling over so that he lay beside Jou with his eyes closed.

Jou wouldn't like him seeing him crying in his sleep, anyways.

-----------------

"Jounouchi-kun, a word please…"

"What is going to…"

"Jounouchi! How do you feel about your father's sent-"

Fucking paparazzi. Sure, he had dreams about being a big-ass movie star when he was younger, but now that he was being subjected to this, he hoped that he grew up to be a modest-living whatever-he'd-be.

It wasn't even _him_ that was 'famous'. It was his _Dad_, for fuck's sake!

Tucking his shoulders into himself as he barreled through the crowd with a couple of police officers holding most of the camera equipment and excitable news-dogs away, he scowled. Every time he saw Kaiba on TV, he saw him wearing sunglasses or farther away from the press. Now he knew why. At this rate, he was going to be _blind_.

The black limo awaited him, door wide open and two more officers holding back eager protestors, with signs such as 'Rights For Women!', and 'Better Sentences for Perverts!' and other various slogans.

Before he barreled into the much needed darkness of the vehicle, he turned around and waved at Mea Tenako, who smiled sweetly (even though he knew that it was just a different way of saying 'You asshole, you brang all the attention to me now!') at him before walking as fast as she could (in high heels, no less!) towards the other limo that was directly behind him.

Before he could get into the vehicle, again, he almost tripped and choked at another question thrown at him through the crowd.

"Jounouchi-kun, what is your relationship with Seto Kaiba?!"

Luckily, his tripping managed to get him into the limo well enough that the 'guards' managed to slam the door and guard it, while the driver clicked the locks closed.

He lay on the floor for a full minute before grumbling out lowly. "Is this why you hardly appear on national television, Seto? I think I'm fucking _blind_."

The other snorted, profile hidden almost completely by the coat, glasses, and hat he was sporting. "You get used to it."

He moaned, turning over and throwing a hand over his eyes. Shit, he was _still_ seeing dots. "I will never, _ever_ get used to that."

A pause before the other spoke. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there today."

Crooking his head so that he was looking at the brunet upside down, he grinned. "Naw. It's alright. You have other things, right? Plus, you were there yesterday!"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean there are more im-"

He snorted and cut the other off, flipping over so that he could scoot up onto the seat opposite of his lover. "Yeah, yeah. But _this _can manage to screw you up royally, too. And we all know Mokuba isn't ready to handle the business yet, right? Gotta let him be the kid!"

Kaiba let a little half-smirk, half-smile on his face and there was an abrupt silence, where Jou loosened his tie and sighed in a stressed contempt.

The blond was the first to speak, looking up and away from the other. "At least Shizuka wasn't there. She wouldn't be able to handle it."

The brunet 'hmm'ed' and he continued, laughing mirthlessly. "Dad, what an asshole! He managed to freak out in the little booth when the judge announced his sentence, ya know? Managed to turn the little speaker that let him talk on and let out a buncha things that made the priest in the jury blush. 'Fucking piece-of-shit kid, when I get my hands on you, I'll fucking kill you this time!'"

He laughed again, this time trying to cover up the tightness in his throat. "First time in a long time that he was actually sober."

He felt more then heard the taller boy's first syllable, but interrupted him, trying not let his voice crack as he said the next few sentences. He only was able to do so by supreme force of will.

"31 years with no chance of bail or anything of the like. And I'm supposed at go find a home under the advice of Sakura Benachi. Fucking… Fuck."

He sat there, boneless, until he peeked out of the corner of his eye and saw the brunet look to the side in embarrassment.

Immediately, his head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes, trying to guess what his lover had done for him, good or bad. "Kaiba…."

Hearing the growl, and the use of his last name, the brunet looked up, not missing a beat. "Yes?"

"What did you do? And remember: your answer depends on the amount of sex you get!"

The other teen raised an eyebrow. "You're usually the one begg-"

He cut him off, refusing to let the blush slide past his neck. Geez, the guy always had to be so cool and calm and… Yeah. Himself. "None of that! What did you do!?"

"I asked Sugoroku Mutou if he would take you for the next 2 months, until you're eighteen. He said that he would be glad too, as long as you don't…" Kaiba raised an eyebrow at his next words. "skip work."

Jou stared at him, then blushed, then stared some more.

Then he promptly launched himself at the taller teen's middle and laughed into his stomach as if it would be the last thing he would ever do.

"You!" he gasped out between little bursts of breathe, the sound muffled by the other's shirt. "Asshole!"

He felt Kaiba's stomach tense as he gripped harder. He didn't know if it as from the name-calling or the fact that he was digging his nails into Kaiba's back. He didn't know which, but… it was probably the nails, yeah. Seto never flinched when he called him all kinds of names.

He giggled a little more, letting the humor and the bit of anger mixed in there die down until he was sufficient enough to talk and look up at Kaiba from his awkward position on his lap.

Which was kinda like Deja vu for him. Hadn't he be sitting like this at the hospital when him and Seto managed to finally choke out the words of undying… uhh… lust and be all manly about it?

… Yes, he was trying to convince himself that they hadn't been all lovey-dovey and hadn't almost made-out on his bed, and instead had been very masculine about the whole ordeal.

Yeah. But back to topic.

"You!" he spat out again, this time with a grin on his face and a heated glimmer in his eye. "All these months, I've been worrying about where to go, I didn't want to ask the Mutuo's about it, etc, etc! But then, out of nowhere, you ask them. _Behind my back_, might I add!"

Was it him, or did Kaiba look just a _teensy _bit guilty?

Served him right. Stalker.

He paused, then let the angry glimmer fade out of his eye in turn for a happy one. Well, Seto had done it for him. So yeah.

"So… actually… you're the moocher! Not me! So, if they get sick of me, I'm blaming it on you, got it?"

The brunet teen raised an eyebrow at him, which basically meant that he had stupid logic and that Seto was not a moocher, not then, not now, not ever.

He, in turn, whapped his lover's arm, who just looked at him even more… Kaiba-esque. He couldn't really describe it.

He was still an Asshole.

After a minute of staring at each other, Kaiba finally gave in and lifted a hand to ruffle Jou's hair. Without even willing it, Jou growled. Like a dog. And Kaiba smirked.

"You sure you aren't a d-"

"Shut it. I'm in a prime position to bite the family jewels off, Kaiba-boy."

And, if his boyfriend was a normal boy, he could practically see him gulping and covering his sacred parts with his hands.

But, instead, Kaiba just smirked at him and clenched his hair tighter.

"I wouldn't say 'bite'…"

"Well, I do. Now shut up and help me up. No one can say I haven't faced the day in the life of a one-armed man no more."

After a bit of a struggle, Jou ended up sitting on his lover's lap instead of beside him, but he shrugged inwardly. Kaiba wasn't bony, but he wasn't like a pillow, either. But it was still comfy enough that he could enjoy it.

Plus, if he felt up to the task, he could have teased the guy so he'd be more…

He coughed. Now was not the time to have his head halfway down the gutter to look for silver and other shiny things.

Instead, he lay his head down on Kaiba's collarbone and sighed through his nose, silent.

After a few seconds of that silence, however, he spoke up, trying not to sound too… clingy. "You know your awesome, right Seto?"

His boyfriend 'hmm'ed', too occupied in pressing his face into Jou's hair. If anyone knew Kaiba was a snuggler, they would certainly be dead in a matter of two seconds form the infamous, patented, and lethal Kaiba glare. Not distributed out to Mokuba Kaiba. Mokuba had the infamous, patented, and lethal Kaiba _pout_.

He continued, trying not to sigh and get distracted by the warmth of Kaiba. "You're always there, and it's like… Woah. Yeah. Sure, Yug's always there too, but he has to handle saving the world and his other needs attention too, so it's kinda hard to pay attention to me. Same with Anzu and Honda. And, sure, you got your brother, and a company, and you have to be smart and all that, and all at the same, and…" He paused. "It's a 'when all else fails' mentality, ya know."

Kaiba chuckled in his hair. "Am I around that much?"

Jou grinned, tapping his fingers on Seto's pale collarbone and liking the sound it made. "Yeah. You're like a cockroach, I swear."

"You have a cockroach fetish?"

"What?! The hell was that? I think you're tired. Go to sleep." He paused again, then laughed. "Sick pervert."

Kaiba hmm'ed again.

The blond stayed quiet for all of two seconds before he started humming, the song sticky in his head but making it out ok when it slipped past his lips.

After a moment, Kaiba spoke up, interrupting his humming.

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"You're humming."

"Yeah, it's an American song that I just remebered. 'When All Else Fails'. It's a kinda cool song."

Kaiba smirked. "'When All Else Fails?'"

"Yeah. When All Else Fails."

-------------------------------Owari/End-----------------------------------

…….. OK. Now it's done. And I'm so sad and it took so long and this chapter really _is_ shit but, HOLY CRAP.

…Yeah. The chapter sucked. But I'm done.

…Not to mention that that was a weird ending. I didn't know how to finish it though.

…Yay? Aww, now I'm sad XD;;.

But, if you want me to not be sad, the first chapter of the SEQUEL is halfway done XP! SO LOVE ME MORE.

…-cough-. Yes. Happy Days, WAEF is FINISHED.


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